President has disclosed that the 'No Fee Stress' Policy was directly inspired by real-life stories of student hardship that circulated on social media, highlighting the urgent need for financial intervention at the tertiary level.
Speaking at the official launch in Koforidua on Friday, July 4, 2025, President Mahama said the policy was born out of compassion after witnessing students who, despite gaining admission, were unable to pay their academic fees.
He recounted the case of a girl who had been admitted to study medicine at the University for Development Studies (UDS) but was found helping her mother roast plantain to raise funds. "We looked out for her, we found her and her mother, and we took her to the university.
We paid her academic fees, and not only that, we asked UDS to provide us with her fees for the entire course, and they did.
