The government will commence direct salary deductions for more than 4,000 public sector workers with outstanding student loans starting July 2026, the Student Loan Trust Fund (SLTF) has announced.
The move, disclosed by SLTF Chief Executive Officer Dr Saajida Shiraz on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, follows an agreement with the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department aimed at recovering millions of cedis in unpaid loans.
“We are working through the modalities, but I have the assurance of the department that starting July 2026, we should be able to have deductions from them,” Dr Shiraz said.
The announcement comes after the Controller and Accountant-General, Kwesi Agyei, revealed that thousands of workers on the government payroll had failed to repay loans obtained from the Fund.
Dr Shiraz emphasised that recovering outstanding obligations is critical to the sustainability of the scheme, enabling the Fund to extend financial support to new cohorts of tertiary students.
“We hope it will help us significantly. The work we do is good, and the sustainability of the Fund is important because when you pay back your student loan, we can help other students benefit from it,” she explained.
The Fund recorded a significant shortfall in 2025, collecting GH¢90 million against a target of GH¢120 million, despite total outstanding repayments exceeding GH¢300 million.
“Last year, for instance, we failed to meet our repayment target. We had a target of GH¢120 million, but we were only able to recover GH¢90 million. What was actually due was more than GH¢300 million,” Dr Shiraz disclosed.
The SLTF has also initiated discussions with the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to establish a data-sharing arrangement aimed at tracing borrowers outside the public sector.
Dr Shiraz said the expanded recovery strategy is expected to improve compliance and strengthen the Fund’s long-term financial viability.
