Education Minister to Present Scholarship Authority Bill to Parliament

As part of broader reforms to ensure fairness in scholarship distribution, the Government will, next week, introduce the Scholarship Authority Bill in Parliament. The announcement was made by Minister for Education, Mr. Haruna Iddrisu, during the launch of the “No Fees Stress Policy” at the SDA College of Education in Koforidua, Eastern Region.

The event was officially launched by President John Dramani Mahama, marking the rollout of one of his administration’s flagship education policies.

According to Mr. Iddrisu, the proposed bill is aimed at addressing concerns of favoritism, nepotism, and lack of transparency in the awarding of scholarships. He emphasized that one of President Mahama’s lasting legacies in education will be the introduction of the President’s Scholarship — an award targeted at high-performing students in critical academic areas such as Science, Mathematics, and Engineering.

“Ten outstanding students, as determined by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), will be honoured each year through this initiative,” he said. “The President will personally endorse these scholarships to cover their full academic tenure.”

Commenting on the newly launched No Fees Stress Policy, Mr. Iddrisu highlighted that it delivers on a major campaign promise by President Mahama. The policy guarantees free tuition for all first-year students enrolled in public tertiary institutions across Ghana, and extends additional support to persons with disabilities.

The Education Minister also disclosed that his deputy, in collaboration with the Chairperson of the Federation for Disabled People, is finalizing the disbursement framework for students with disabilities.

In a further boost to student financing, he announced that the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) will double its allocation to the Students Loan Trust from GHS 70 million to GHS 150 million in the next academic year.

The initiative is expected to significantly increase access to tertiary education across the country. The launch was attended by prominent traditional leaders, including Nana Kwaku Boateng III, the New Juabenhene, and Nana Juaben Serwaa III, the Queen Mother of New Juaben.