Students of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) have thronged the campus office of the Students Loan Trust Fund (SLTF).

Since Monday, the Fund has been taking biometrics of students who applied to for student loans.

It comes after Education Minister, Dr Yaw Adutwum asked the Fund to intervene following the deferment of some 6,000 KNUST students for failing to pay their school fees.

Speaking the media, the Fund’s Relations Officer, George Ferguson Laing said measures have been implemented with support of the Dean of Students, to assist the affected students.

“My team and I have been on campus for the past couple of days, meeting with the school authorities and other stakeholders.

“In addition to other concessions already made by the school authorities, they have agreed to give affected students who are yet to meet their obligations, up to the 6th of May to apply for funding from the SLTF,” he said.

Mr Laing further added that the SLTF had held an information session for students and taken them through the application process.

He said that the application portal had been open for all tertiary students across the country and not just for the deferred students of KNUST.

“Any student who wants to apply for financial aid should just visit our website and apply, after which they can visit any of our 14 campus offices across the country for their biometrics to be taken.

“In the case of this special group, their loans would be paid to the university authorities for the fees owed. Other students will however have their loans paid directly to them, to spend how they see fit on their education,” he noted.

He encouraged tertiary students across the country to take advantage of the loan facility to avoid unnecessary disruptions in their academic work.