Ghanaian PhD students in the United Kingdom face severe delays in tuition fee and stipend payments from the Ghana Scholarship Authority (GSA).
As of June 8, no student in the PhD, undergraduate, or Master’s cohorts had received payments for tuition or stipends. Students earlier suspended protests in April after being informed funds were released. The Ghana High Commissioner confirmed funds were released on April 16 and promised disbursement the following week.
This ongoing issue highlights larger systemic challenges within Ghana's public finance management. Similar payment delays have been reported in the past, drawing public concern and appeals. In 2024, GHS 150 million was released to partly address tuition and stipend arrears. The current delays indicate a recurrence of these financial management challenges.
The affected students released a statement detailing their frustrations. They indicated that the Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, had released funds for the first quarter. However, their findings show that only GHS 37 million out of the GHS 256 million allocated budget has been disbursed. This amount translates to approximately £2.3 million, representing only 14% of the GSA budget.
The extended non-payment has created significant academic and welfare problems for the students. Many have been withdrawn or suspended from their programs. Some have had their visas revoked due to unpaid fees. UK universities are now involving debt collection agencies to recover outstanding payments. Several PhD students are reportedly owed more than 40 months of unpaid stipends, leading to reliance on friends and food banks for survival. Some students also face court cases over rent arrears.
Decision-makers must address this critical funding gap to prevent further damage to Ghana's international academic standing. The GSA Director-General has signed new scholarship awards for other countries, including Canada, Germany, China, and the United States. This raises questions about financial priorities while existing scholars face distress. Stakeholders will closely monitor how the GSA and Ghana's government address these persistent payment issues. They must ensure the timely disbursement of funds to rectify the students' dire situation.