Ghanaian government-sponsored students in the United Kingdom, particularly PhD and master’s degree candidates, are facing expulsions, visa cancellations and severe hardship as long-standing scholarship debts remain unresolved.
The crisis has triggered a public exchange between Ghana’s High Commissioner to the UK, Mrs Sabah Zita Benson, and the former Registrar of the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat (GSS), Dr Kingsley Agyemang, over who bears responsibility for the accumulating liabilities.
But while officials trade figures and explanations, students say they are the ones paying the price.
Speaking on Metro TV’s Good Afternoon Ghana on Monday, December 8, Prince Komla Bansah, President of the Ghana PhD Cohorts in the UK, said the situation had reached a tipping point.
“A lot of students have been written to by their universities, taken out of their courses. Some have also been notified by the Home Office that they’re in their visa, giving them 90 days to exit the country,” he said.
According to him, some students, particularly PhD candidates, have gone as long as 48 months without receiving stipends, leaving many unable to pay rent or meet basic living expenses.
“As I speak to you, a number of our students are actually evicted from their accommodation,” Bansah disclosed. “Some of them have to be living on food banks… I can tell you that some of them are even homeless.”
Dr Kingsley Agyemang, who previously headed the Scholarship Secretariat, has strongly rejected claims that he left behind an unmanageable debt.
Addressing the issue last week, he said he inherited a debt of GH¢230 million (about $57 million) when he took office.
“I met a debt of 230 million Ghana cedis… and no Ghanaian child anywhere in the world came home,” he stated, insisting that the Nana Akufo-Addo-led government ensured all beneficiaries were catered for.
Dr Agyemang criticised the High Commissioner for publicly discussing the issue, describing her approach as “highly out of order” and “un-diplomatic”.
“The scholarship liability or debt is a continuous thing because of the financial year and the academic year,” he argued, saying overlapping academic years naturally create rollovers.
“We did not inherit a surplus; we inherited a liability… and still no student was sent home,” he said.
Mrs Sabah Zita Benson, however, rejected Dr Agyemang’s defence, insisting the debt accumulated steadily during his tenure.
“I do not know what Mr Agyemang is refuting,” she said. “The truth is only one.”
She explained that debts built up over several academic years – from £33,000 in 2021–2022, to £2.3 million in 2022–2023, £18.6 million in 2023–2024, and £14.6 million in 2024–2025- bringing the total to £35.7 million.
“This is a debt Mr Agyemang accumulated over five years,” she said, adding that only £3 million has so far been paid, leaving an outstanding balance of £32 million.
She said the unpaid fees are directly affecting Ghanaian students in UK universities.
“This is causing a lot of hardship to students here in the UK,” she stated.
Explaining how the crisis unfolds, Prince Bansah said Ghanaian students register using scholarship award or renewal letters as financial guarantees, allowing them to enrol without paying tuition upfront.
“When fees are not paid after registration, universities transfer the debt to the student’s account,” he explained.
“After that, they suspend you, withdraw you, and write to the Home Office.”
Once that happens, a student’s visa is curtailed.
“You have 90 days to leave the country,” he said, revealing that at least one master’s student has already been deported.
He cited letters formally confirming withdrawals, including one issued by a UK university removing a PhD student from a programme due to unpaid fees.
Frustrated by the lack of firm assurances, the affected students have escalated the issue beyond Ghana.
Bansah said petitions have been sent to President John Dramani Mahama, the UK Prime Minister, the Speaker of the UK Parliament, and the Mayor of London.
“We’re not trying to embarrass anybody,” he said.
“But I wake up to dozens of messages every day from students who are suffering.”
He added that while students recognise the debt predates the current administration, urgent intervention is needed.
“These are Ghanaian students. They cut across political parties,” he said.
“We just want this issue addressed so people can continue their studies and live with dignity.”
