The Akuffo Addo led the New Patriotic Party, via its manifesto, promised tertiary-level students a guarantor-free student loan in the run up to the 2020 general election.

After its establishment in December 2005 under the Trustee Incorporation Act 1962, Act 820, the Students Loan Trust Fund (SLTF) was set up to provide financial support for the sound management of the trust for the benefit of students and to help promote and encourage the national ideals enshrined in Articles 28 and 38 of the Constitution of 1992.

Students apply for financial assistance via the loan system to meet certain financial needs of their tertiary-level education. Under the program, students who meet the following conditions are given loans.

1. Telephone number of both applicant and guarantor

2. An E-zwich account that should be linked to your Bank account in the same bank.

3. Social security number

4. Should be a registered student of his/her school

5. Must have one personal guarantor who should either be a SSNIT contributor, MMDA, Religious Body or a Corporate Body.

6. Two passport size photographs

7. A witness

8. Complete a SSNIT endorsement form

It is worth remembering that no one will act as the loan scheme’s guarantor. At the very least, the guarantor must meet all the following requirements:

Any of the following guarantors must guarantee your loan offer (SSNIT contributor, Recognized Religious Body, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assembly and Corporate body).

Contributor Guarantor for SNNIT

a. A Ghanaian must be,

 

b. An active donor to the SSNIT pension scheme must be in operation.

c. They must have contributed at least 36 months or 3 years to the SSNIT program.

d. You don’t need to be over 53 years old.

e. Not to have already guaranteed for more than one (1) user. (However, parents can guarantee all their kids) (

Religious Body

a. A member of a recognised national religious body must be present.

b. There must be proof of the decision of the organization to guarantee the (Resolution).

Assemblies of Metropolitan, Municipal and District

a. Proof of a resolution by the Assembly to guarantee student loans must be given.

b. 2 approved signatories should be stated in the resolution.

c. The Chief Executive must be included among the signatories.

 

Metropolitan, Regional and District Assemblies

a. There must be proof of Resolution by the Assembly to guarantee student loans.

b. 2 approved signatories should be stated in the resolution.

c. The Chief Executive must be included among the signatories.

 

Co-operate Bodies

a. At the time of warranty, the company must be a member of Ghana club 100 and/or a company listed on Ghana Stock.

b. A board resolution approving the assurance must be in effect.

c. Two signatories are needed, and they should at least be in the role of senior management.

I have to point out that these guarantor conditions have stopped many individuals from applying for the loan if they are in urgent need of it.

You must at least maintain a student ID from a recognized tertiary institution in Ghana as a student who qualifies to apply. We should also note that you can not use the loan in order to pay the entrance fee.

 

This is because you only get your student ID after paying your admission fees and some other dues expected of you in your first semester as a newly enrolled student.

It is therefore advisable that, during the second semester, any arrangements for applying for a student loan should be made.

Loan can be applied online with some few steps

Students who have been given a loan facility have a grace period of no longer than two years following their national service to begin repayment.

This means that, in the third year of completion of the national service, repayment is expected to commence. Management of the scheme will begin to remind you of your due date of repayment via a text message.

Defaulting applicants often post their names not only on the website of the scheme, but in certain newspapers. Scheme administrators reach out as a last resort for repayment to guarantors of defaulters.

Repayment is actually made simple by using your phone to dial the repayment code and follow the process to make payment to any of the accredited banks nationwide.

The cost of the loan, which initially varies from Gh1000.00 to Gh3000.00 depending on the accredited program provided by the borrower, is paid annually.

The loan scheme currently includes a new laptop for students who choose a laptop rather than physical cash. The specifications, however, remain the same as those for physical cash applications.

With regard to the pledge of Akuffo Addo, it means that students will now have the right to apply for the loan either through the money or the laptop without searching for a guarantor through the hussle.

If this guarantor free loan program is adopted, most students who would possibly have a problem looking for a guarantor will certainly gain.

However, we can’t say how and what else the scheme administrators will use to recover the borrowed money in terms of repayment securities.

Whatever the case, I firmly believe this would be better regarded as one of the tertiary level social programs aimed at helping students in need.

Source: GhanaCNN.com