The banking hall of the Sunyani Main Branch of the Ghana Commercial Bank was filled to capacity, as university freshers in the area thronged the bank to open accounts and to benefit from the government’s No Academic Fee Policy.

President Mahama launched the No Academic Fee Policy for first-year tertiary students to remove financial barriers that prevent qualified students from enrolling in public universities, technical universities, nursing training colleges, and colleges of education.

During a visit to the bank on Thursday, the Ghana News Agency (GNA) was informed that the students were mostly from the University of Natural Resources and the Sunyani Technical University.

Personnel of the bank spoke to the GNA on condition of anonymity and added that many of the students had already opened their accounts with the bank.

“Some of the students have accounts with the bank and are here to withdraw their money paid in by the government and others are also here to open accounts to facilitate the payment of their money through us,” the bank personnel stated.

Some of the beneficiary students also confirmed to the GNA that they had received GHC2,900 and expressed their appreciation to the government for the implementation of the policy.

While others said they intended to save the money and to pay the next academic year fees, others said they would use the money to procure laptop computers and smart mobile phones that would aid their academic work.

Miss Grace Oduro, one of the beneficiaries said: “It’s our wish that the government continue with the package to lessen the burden of our families in fending for our education and to also benefit more fresh students”.

She appealed to the government to consider extending the policy to cover their entire university education, describing the policy as a great initiative that would lessen the economic burdens of many families.