The Chief Executive Officer of the Student Loan Trust Fund (SLTF), Dr Saajida Shiraz, says more students have benefited from government’s student support interventions under the Mahama administration than the total number supported during the previous 20 years of the Fund’s existence.

Speaking on JoyNews’ The Pulse, she attributed the development to increased government prioritisation of tertiary education financing and the expansion of support programmes for students.

"I would tell you that 20 years after the setup of the fund, it is changing lives, and exceptionally so in this last year, or under this government, because I can say that under this government, more students have benefited than the totality of the 20 years prior to this government's coming into office. Altogether. I tell you that, "she stated on Wednesday, September 9.

Dr Shiraz said the Student Loan Trust Fund has significantly expanded its reach, with thousands of students benefiting from enhanced loans and other interventions.

According to her, the Fund has disbursed GH¢210 million in enhanced student loans to 59,300 students this year alone.

“This year, because of government prioritisation, we have met all the demands for student loans,” she said.

Dr Shiraz explained that the support goes beyond the traditional student loan scheme, with government also expanding assistance through the Student Loan Plus initiative.

She said 1,997 students benefited from Student Loan Plus, including 626 students enrolled at the Ghana School of Law, whose fees were paid directly to the institution.

The initiative, she noted, followed President John Mahama’s directive to extend student loan coverage to students pursuing professional legal education.

About GH¢20 million was spent on the fees of the 626 Ghana School of Law students, she disclosed.

Dr Shiraz further revealed that "the Fund has spent GH¢10 million to support tertiary students with disabilities, covering tuition and residential payments."

She said government is also working on policy modalities to provide additional support, including stipends and assistive learning devices for students with disabilities.

The CEO identified the no-academic-fee policy as the largest area of expenditure, with approximately GH¢916 million spent across the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 academic years.

She said 152,000 students benefited during the first academic year, "while approximately 169,000 students have benefited during the current academic year."

Dr Shiraz noted that a small number of students are still undergoing data verification because of mismatches between their records and information held by the National Identification Authority.

She explained that the additional checks are necessary to ensure that public funds are disbursed only to eligible beneficiaries.