The 'No Fees Stress' policy by President Mahama on July 4 in Koforidua

Dr Ibrahim Mohammed Gunu, Dean of the Faculty of Education and Associate Professor at the University for Development Studies (UDS), has raised critical concerns about the sustainability of the government’s newly launched ‘No Fees Stress’ policy for first-year tertiary students.

Speaking on Morning Starr with Joshua Kodjo Mensah on Monday, July 7, Dr Gunu questioned how the policy, though well-intentioned, would be sustained in the coming years and proposed a broader conversation on its practical implementation.

While welcoming the initiative, Dr Gunu stressed the need for clear, long-term funding plans to ensure the policy does not face implementation challenges after its initial rollout.

He said, “I think sustainability is another conversation that we need to start to see how the policy in the first place can be sustained for the first years. We also need to start the conversation about whether the students actually will need a refund or the fees must be absorbed for all first-year students so that there will not be a need to be stranded to look for money to pay for it to be reimbursed.”

Dr Gunu’s comments follow the launch of the No Fees Stress policy by President John Dramani Mahama in Koforidua on Friday, July 4, 2025.

The policy, aimed at removing financial barriers to tertiary education, will cover academic-related fees for all first-year students in public universities, colleges of education, technical universities, and nursing training institutions.

President Mahama, during the launch, underscored that the policy is not a handout but a constitutional responsibility to ensure access to education for all.

President Mahama highlighted that over 15,000 students have already had their academic fees cleared under the initiative.

The President also appealed to tertiary institutions to implement the programme with “transparency, compassion, and excellence,” and called on private sector actors and development partners to co-invest through scholarships, bursaries, and public-private financing models.