President Mahama opens student loan scheme to law students

President John Dramani Mahama has announced that law students will soon be eligible to access funding under the Student Loan Trust Fund, in a policy shift aimed at widening access to legal education and easing the financial strain on tertiary students.

Delivering his 2026 State of the Nation Address in Parliament on Friday, February 27, the President said the government had begun processes to integrate legal education into the national loan scheme, ending years in which law students were excluded from the facility.

“In collaboration with the Student Loan Trust Fund, I have good news for law students. Law students will now be able to access the student loan scheme to pursue their legal education,” he said.

The announcement signals a significant adjustment in higher education financing, particularly for professional programmes that often carry higher tuition and training costs. By extending loan access to law students, the government is seeking to reduce barriers to entry and promote greater equity within the tertiary education system.

President Mahama framed the move within his administration’s broader commitment to inclusive and affordable education, stressing that financial constraints should not prevent qualified students from pursuing professional careers.

He also used the address to highlight progress under the government’s No-Fees-Stress policy, which is designed to ease the cost burden on first-year students entering public tertiary institutions.

“The No-fees Stress initiative was successfully launched in Koforidua and as I speak, it has generated over 152,000 first year students in public tertiary universities. The number of beneficiaries this year is projected to reach 220,000 first year students.”

According to the President, the strong uptake demonstrates both the demand for financial relief and the impact of targeted interventions in expanding access to higher education.