The Students Loan Trust Fund (SLTF) has initiated processes to offer financial support to some deferred students of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Dr Daniel Norris Bekoe, the university relations officer has said.
Over 6,000 students, representing about 8% of the 85,256 student population of KNUST have had to defer their courses in line with university regulations for non-payment of school fees.
Dr Norris Bekoe said the Student Loan Trust Fund has agreed to offer affected students with amounts ranging from GHC1,500 to GHC3000.
“Yesterday, I received a message from the Student Trust Fund that they are willing to support students between GHC1, 500 to GHC3, 000, ” he told Philip Asiawo on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Friday ( 22 April).
‘So those students who don’t have the money can go through this avenue or go through the office of the dean of students and then try and see how they can access this support,” he said.
He added, ” If you are serious and you want to further your education, I think you can access that.”
Don’t use your school fees for business
Earlier, Dr Bekoe also cautioned students not to use their school fees to invest in businesses.
Over 6000 students, representing about 8% of the 85,256 student population of KNUST have had to defer their courses in line with university regulations for non-payment of school fees.
The academic board of the KNUST deferred the programmes of the students for non-payment of academic user fees.
Early this year, the university extended the payment date from 21 March 2022 to 11 April 2022 to allow the students to honour their obligation.
However, as of last week when mid-semester examinations had started, the over 6000 students had reneged on their promises following an earlier plea.
Explanation
Bekoe told Graphic Online on Wednesday [20 April 2022] that the university was aware that some of the affected students have invested their fees in many businesses including online hailing taxi services and were yet to recoup the investment and make payment.
Graphic Online is aware of a number of students who reside in the nearby Ayeduase community, who have invested in bakery services to support their education.
Resolute in enforcing deferment directive
According to Bekoe, the University has given the students sufficient “grace period” to pay their school fees but failed to do so.
Speaking to Asaase Radio’s Ashanti regional correspondent, Jonathan Ofori, Bekoe said regardless of the difficulties expressed by these students, authorities remain resolute in enforcing the directive.
“We have given them [students] enough grace period; that’s about two and a half months to do so [pay their fees]. A lot of them are just not responsible, they do not care. Again, a number of them, when even they register, they fail to pay the percentage of fees we have asked them to pay.
“This student was owing us to the tune of about US$13,000 and she was making up all the excuses why she can’t pay. It turned out to be that she was running a bakery with her school fees. Yes, baking bread, baking cake, baking other things; we do not fault anybody for trying to be an entrepreneur but don’t use our school fees for [business], because we need the money for the smooth running of the university,” Bekoe said.
Fred Dzakpata
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