The flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has announced plans to introduce a free tertiary education scholarship for Persons with Disability (PWDs) if the party is elected to govern again.

Speaking during the launch of the NPP’s manifesto on Sunday, August 18, Dr. Bawumia emphasised that this initiative aims to remove financial barriers that hinder PWDs from achieving their educational goals.

“The next NPP government will introduce Free Tertiary Education Scholarship for PWDs to remove financial barriers to pursuing educational goals,” Dr. Bawumia promised, highlighting the NPP’s commitment to inclusive education.

Dr. Bawumia also outlined plans to increase the availability of student accommodation in public universities and other public tertiary institutions, adding that this move is intended to address the current housing deficit on campuses and ensure that student housing is more affordable.

Touching on scholarships, he asserted that the NPP government will "integrate scholarship databases across all the public sector institutions managing such schemes, to ensure full visibility."

Furthermore, he promised to expand eligibility for the Students Loan Scheme to include all post-secondary students, encompassing those enrolled in certificate and diploma programmes.

Dr. Bawumia also emphasised the importance of prioritising national scholarship schemes towards training and skills development in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and other critical areas needed for national development.

Additionally, he mentioned the implementation of the Centralised Applications Processing Service (CAPS) for tertiary institutions, which will allow applicants to “apply once, and pay once,” streamlining the application process across institutions.