The Students Loan Trust Fund (SLTF) has announced that it has successfully reimbursed the academic fees of 20,682 additional first-year students, bringing the total number of reimbursements for the 2024/2025 academic year to 60,915.

The update was disclosed by the CEO of the SLTF, Dr Saajida Shiraz, in a Facebook post on Tuesday, 16 July 2025. She confirmed that the fund continues to process the remaining applications, which are currently at various stages of completion.

According to Dr Shiraz, while thousands of students have already benefited, some applications are still pending due to recurring validation challenges.

“Our officers are working with students to address issues such as programme mismatches, name mismatches, and ID number mismatches. We are committed to due diligence and to ensuring every eligible student receives the financial support they deserve,” she stated.

Process Underway for Outstanding Applications

The SLTF explained that pending applications are going through the necessary checks, including validations and pre-audits, to ensure transparency and compliance.

Some of the students have already completed the process but are awaiting final validations, while others have been validated and are currently undergoing pre-audit checks before disbursement.

This latest disbursement follows government assurances of support for tertiary students amid rising concerns over the affordability of university education in Ghana. The SLTF has become a critical safety net for many students since its establishment in 2005, helping to expand access to higher education by providing loans and financial aid.

In recent years, the SLTF has also introduced innovative repayment systems and tech-driven loan management platforms, including the No Guarantor Student Loan Scheme, launched in 2022 to simplify access to funding for first-time applicants.

As tuition and related costs continue to rise, the government, through the SLTF, has emphasised its commitment to ensuring that financial hardship does not prevent eligible students from pursuing tertiary education.

The SLTF has assured the public that it will continue to work diligently with students and educational institutions to resolve outstanding issues. The Fund says its goal remains clear: to remove financial barriers to higher education and ensure that no eligible student is left behind.