The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has raised concerns about whether government should continue providing both feeding grants and tuition support for students in colleges of education under the ‘No Fees Stress’ policy.
Speaking at the inauguration of councils of colleges of education in Accra on August 21, 2025, the Minister noted that continuing to pay allowances and provide free feeding while also covering tuition under the new policy could lead to duplication of government expenditure and put additional pressure on the education budget.
According to him, while the ‘No Fees Stress’ policy has been one of the most impactful initiatives of President Mahama, government must hold a national conversation on how best to implement it without straining limited financial resources.
“We cannot elevate colleges and still have issues with feeding students. If first-year students in the colleges of education are benefiting from allowances of 400 to 500 cedis and at the same time we are implementing the ‘No Fees Stress’ policy, then we must look at ways to avoid duplication,” Haruna Iddrisu said.
The Minister further suggested that dedicating a portion of Ghana’s oil revenue to finance the policy and establishing a scholarship and bursary authority could help sustain long-term funding for human capital development.
Funding Commitments to Tertiary Education
Haruna Iddrisu also highlighted government’s ongoing financial commitments to the tertiary education sector, including:
- Over ₵30 million earmarked for the Book and Research Allowance (BRA) in 2025.
- ₵31 million spent on BRA for 46 colleges of education in 2024.
- An increase in allocation from ₵428 million in 2024 to ₵712 million in 2025 for the tertiary education sector.
- ₵410 million set aside to complete stalled infrastructure projects in tertiary institutions.
Additionally, the Minister revealed a policy proposal to absorb three new colleges of education—Savannah College of Education, Ghana Moslem Mission College, and another yet-to-be-named institution—into the public system to expand access to teacher training.
Call for Sustainable Education Financing
With rising costs in the education sector, the Minister stressed the need for careful financial planning to ensure the sustainability of flagship policies like ‘No Fees Stress’ and the continued support of teacher trainees.
