Copyright ghanamma
Thirty six Ghanaian PhD students in the United Kingdom face academic withdrawal and potential deportation following nearly ten months of administrative delays by the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat (GSS). The scholars say they cannot renew their scholarships due to what they describe as administrative errors by public officials. The students revealed that about ten members have been excluded or withdrawn from their studies due to unpaid tuition fees and now await potential deportation notices from the Home Office. With the academic year already two months underway, they warn their futures in the United Kingdom hang in the balance. Data collected from 86 affected members indicates approximately 30 students have received no payment toward their 2024/25 tuition fees, while an estimated £400,000 is needed to keep them enrolled for the 2025/26 academic year. The group says unpaid stipends and tuition fees, some outstanding for up to 48 months, have pushed several students into dire circumstances. Several colleagues have been evicted from their homes while others face legal proceedings for defaulting on months of unpaid rent. The financial crisis extends beyond accommodation, as some universities have locked students out of their online portals despite partial payments being made. Academic progression reviews remain halted while scholarship renewals stay pending. A separate group of ten students cannot secure the mandatory Letter of No Objection needed to gain post study work experience in the United Kingdom before returning to Ghana. Some students who travelled to Ghana for research data collection have been refused re-entry to the United Kingdom due to outstanding tuition fees and deportation alerts flagged on their immigration profiles, leaving them stranded in Ghana. Prince Bansah, president of the Ghana PhD Cohort, told Joy FM’s Super Morning Show that stipends owed to students range from eight to 36 months, with some receiving no payment in three years. He described the situation as deeply distressing and said it now threatens Ghana’s diplomatic standing with the United Kingdom. Bansah revealed that in April, the new registrar of GSS visited the United Kingdom and assured students during engagements at the University of Birmingham that ten percent of outstanding tuition would be paid and stipends would resume by the end of May. Those commitments remain unfulfilled. He shared his own experience of falling ill while completing his thesis after going nearly 20 months without stipends, with a wellbeing officer linking his condition to financial distress and planning to escalate the issue to the British Parliament. The president confirmed his local Member of Parliament has contacted him about raising the matter in the British Parliament, calling it now a diplomatic issue and human rights concern. Around 110 students sponsored by GSS currently pursue PhD programmes across United Kingdom universities. The affected scholars emphasized their education represents not merely personal achievement but critical investment in Ghana’s future development. The group has appealed to Ghana’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Her Excellency Sabah Zita Benson, and President John Dramani Mahama for urgent intervention. They asked for immediate resolution and redress, noting the president has addressed other statutory liabilities inherited from the previous administration. GSS, established in 1960 under the Office of the President, was created to develop a skilled, educated workforce by enabling access to higher education for talented but under resourced students. The current crisis represents a significant departure from that founding mission. The Minority in Parliament previously called the situation a national disgrace, noting that in 2017 the government inherited a scholarship debt of USD 57.5 million but cleared it and continued supporting students without any case of deportation or deregistration. The scholars closed their statement expressing hope their plight will not go unheard, stating they believe the matters remain in the hearts of those with power to resolve the crisis.
