A significant number of Ghanaian doctoral students at universities across the United Kingdom are confronting the threat of removal from the country due to a protracted funding crisis. The students allege that their government has failed to disburse promised scholarship funds, covering both tuition and living costs, leaving them in severe financial distress.
Representatives for over a hundred affected scholars have formally appealed to the UK government and the Prime Minister, seeking intervention to urge Ghanaian authorities to settle the outstanding payments, reported to total millions of pounds. The group’s spokesperson stated that the situation has already led to dire consequences for some, including the withdrawal of university registrations for non-payment, subsequent action by immigration authorities, evictions from housing, and reliance on borrowed money or food aid.
The students are enrolled at various institutions, including those in London, Aberdeen, Nottingham, and several other cities. Ghanaian officials have acknowledged inherited financial obligations to UK universities from the previous administration. The head of the national scholarship body confirmed that an audit of past awards is underway and that new scholarships for the UK have been temporarily suspended.
He reported that “significant payments” have been made to partner institutions and that installment plans were negotiated during a visit to the UK earlier this year, though some universities have reportedly withdrawn from these agreements. The official declined to specify the total amount of debt already cleared.
According to the students, tuition fees have gone unpaid since last year for dozens of PhD candidates, preventing some from graduating or accessing campus resources. Stipend payments for living expenses are also said to be overdue by more than three years for others. The students’ representative questioned why new foreign scholarships are reportedly being issued by Ghana while existing commitments in the UK remain unmet.
This incident is not isolated. Ghanaian students in other nations, such as the United States, have raised similar complaints recently. The issue reflects a broader pattern of challenges faced by international students reliant on home government funding, with analogous cases involving Nigerian students in the UK and South African students in Russia reported in recent years.
