General News of Saturday, 20 December 2025Source: starrfm.com.ghFormer Minister for Energy and Vice-Presidential Candidate for the 2024 election, Dr Matthew Opoku-Prempeh, popularly known as NAPO, has defended reforms introduced to Ghana’s student loan system, saying they significantly eased financial pressure on tertiary students. He explained that the earlier system, which demanded three state workers as guarantors, excluded many qualified applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds. Under the revised arrangement, students were allowed to apply using their national identification cards, making support more accessible. He noted that teacher trainees and other categories of students benefitted from allowances and student loan support, stressing that reforms in education financing must be implemented gradually to remain sustainable. The former minister added that while free tertiary education is an admirable objective, Ghana’s economic capacity must be strong enough to sustain such a policy, as seen in some developed countries.

Source: GhanaWeb December 20, 2025 11:01 UTC