The Student Loan Trust Fund (SLTF) says it has disbursed GH¢210 million in enhanced student loans to 59,300 tertiary students this year.

The Chief Executive Officer of the SLTF, Dr Saajida Shiraz, said the intervention forms part of government’s efforts to ensure that financial constraints do not prevent students from accessing tertiary education.

Speaking on JoyNews’ The Pulse on Wednesday, September 9, Dr Shiraz said the Fund has been able to meet all demands for student loans this year, following increased government prioritisation of student financial support.

"This year alone, we did about 59,300 to be exact, and we disbursed GH¢210 million in student loans," she said.

She said, in addition to the traditional and enhanced student loans, the Fund has also expanded support under the Student Loan Plus initiative.

According to her, 1,997 students benefited from the initiative, including 626 students enrolled at the Ghana School of Law.

She explained that the expansion followed a directive from President John Mahama to extend student loan support to persons pursuing professional legal education.

Dr Shiraz said that about GH¢20 million was spent to pay the fees of the 626 Ghana School of Law students directly to their institution.

She added that "the Fund has also spent GH¢10 million so far to support tertiary students with disabilities, covering tuition and residential payments."

The SLTF CEO said government is, however, working on the policy framework for additional support, including stipends and assistive learning devices for students with disabilities.