Failure to honour scholarship obligation is a National Disgrace –Minority

The Minority Committee on Education has slammed the government over its failure to honour scholarship obligations to Ghanaian students abroad, describing the situation as a “national disgrace, a betrayal of trust, and a moral failure.”

According to the Committee, hundreds of government-sponsored students in the United States, United Kingdom, and parts of Eastern Europe are facing eviction from hostels, deregistration from universities, and possible deportation due to the non-payment of tuition and accommodation fees by the Ghana Scholarships Secretariat, which operates under the Office of the President.

In Memphis, Tennessee, more than 180 Ghanaian students are on the verge of losing their housing and academic status as they head into the Fall 2025 semester.

Without immediate intervention, they risk losing their student visa privileges and being sent back home not due to academic failure, but state neglect.

“These students didn’t smuggle themselves abroad. They were officially selected, offered sponsorship, and promised support by the Government of Ghana. To now abandon them in foreign countries is shameful,” the ranking member on education committee, Dr Fred Kyei Asamoah stated in Parliament last week.

The Committee revealed that many students are now being forced to pay their own rent, skip meals, and rely on hand-outs just to survive. In the UK and Eastern Europe, similar stories of hardship are emerging, with students living in fear of being locked out of school systems or deported.

“These are Ghana’s brightest minds now left stranded, hungry, and emotionally exhausted. And all of this is because their own government is refusing to fulfil its obligations.”

Established in 1960, the Ghana Scholarships Secretariat was created to support the development of a skilled, educated workforce by enabling access to higher education for talented but under-resourced students. It was a strategic pillar of Ghana’s post-independence vision one now being eroded by inaction.

The Minority was quick to point out that in 2017, the government inherited a scholarship debt of USD 57.5 million, but still cleared it and continued to support students without a single case of deportation or deregistration.

“Despite the overwhelming debt inherited in 2017, not a single Ghanaian student abroad was abandoned. Today, with fewer constraints, this government is presiding over an unfolding educational and diplomatic crisis.”

 

The Committee warned that the long-term impact of this crisis could be severe. Ghana’s international image is on the line, along with the trust of foreign academic institutions and partners.

“If we allow this crisis to continue, Ghana risks losing not just academic years, but also international goodwill, future bilateral scholarship opportunities, and a worsening brain drain,” the statement read.

The Minority is demanding that the Office of the President, Ministry of Education, and the Ghana Scholarships Secretariat:

• Immediately release funds to affected institutions;
• Initiate direct and open communication with universities;
• Put in place a transparent payment plan;
• And secure the academic and immigration status of all Ghanaian students abroad.

“Let us not allow silence, delay or political indifference to define this moment. These students deserve better and Ghana must act now.”

The Committee also called on civil society organisations, the media, and the Ghanaian public to support the call for immediate action and accountability.

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