Ghana’s Parliament on Thursday, December 11, 2025, passed the Ghana Education Trust Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2025, into law, an action that officially uncaps the GETFund and provides a dedicated, sustainable financing stream for Free SHS and other critical education initiatives.
The amended law now ensures funding for free secondary education, free education for persons with special needs, free tertiary education for persons with disabilities, and allows the GETFund levy to be treated as input tax-deductible.
The move is expected to ease financial pressure on families while strengthening government’s commitment to inclusivity, equal access, and social equity across all levels of education.
Ahead of the bill’s passage, Minister of Education Haruna Iddrisu told Parliament that the amendment guarantees predictable funding for the Free SHS policy.
“It will give assurance to the continuation of the free senior high school policy initiated by former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in 2018, which previously lacked a dedicated funding source,” he said.
He noted that Finance Minister Ato Forson’s decision to uncap the GETFund ensures additional revenue flows into the education sector.
“When this law passes, we are assuring persons with disabilities of free tertiary education,” he added. “Any eligible student with a disability who gains admission into a higher education institution will receive support from the state under President John Dramani Mahama’s administration.”
The passage of the amendment marks one of the most significant reforms to education financing in recent years, ensuring long-term stability for Free SHS and expanded support for vulnerable learners.
By: Christian Kpesese
