The United States Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Robert Porter Jackson, on Thursday commended the Government for successfully rolling out the Free Senior High School (SHS) Policy.

He said secondary education played a vital role in the socio-economic development of every nation and, therefore, urged beneficiaries of the Free SHS Policy to make meaningful use of the opportunities offered them.

Addressing students and patrons at the United States Higher Education Fair in Accra, Mr Jackson said there were about 3,000 Ghanaians currently studying in the US.

He, therefore, urged students seeking admissions to educational institutions in the USA to take advantage of the fair and learn about the courses and scholarship opportunities available in those institutions.

“Those who have gone to the US to study before have had great experiences and many had come back to lead large corporations, in government and non-governmental organisations, with some becoming doctors, lawyers and professors.

“As a former teacher myself, going to another country to study can be very intimidating, but I also think that it offers you the opportunity to learn a lot more about yourself, so I encourage you to put your best foot forward and ask the necessary questions to see if this meets the dreams you have about your future education,” he said.

Twenty-four universities and colleges from the USA exhibited their programmes and opportunities at the fair and were at hand to explain and answer pertinent questions, while they gave out educational materials.

Some of the universities and colleges that participated were; Webster University, Handover College, Oral Roberts University, Portland Community College, Point Park University, Lewis-Clark State College, California University, Drexel University and Santiago Canyon College.