The Minority in Parliament has called on the government to take immediate action to resolve a worsening financial crisis affecting Ghanaian scholarship beneficiaries studying overseas.
The caucus has expressed deep concern over distressing reports that government-sponsored students in countries like United States, the United Kingdom, and parts of Eastern Europe are facing threats of eviction, deregistration, and even deportation due to unpaid tuition and living expenses.
Speaking to journalists in Parliament, the Member of Parliament for Offinso North and a member of the Education Committee, Dr. Fred Kyei Asamoah, urged swift government intervention to avert further hardship.
“Many have had to begin paying their rent in the dire circumstances. Equally worrying are parallel reports emerging from students in the UK and Eastern Europe facing similar threats. Some are already skipping meals,” he said.
Dr. Asamoah appealed directly to the Presidency, the Scholarship Secretariat, and the Education Ministry to act immediately to prevent further deterioration of the situation.
“We urge the government of Ghana through the Office of the President, the Scholarship Secretariat and the Minister for Education to immediately initiate payment plans, restore open communication with institutions and release funds to regularise the status of Ghanaian Scholarship Secretariat abroad,” he added.
At the heart of this crisis lies the government’s failure to honour financial commitments through the Ghana Scholarships Secretariat.
Established in January 1960 as an extra-ministerial agency under the Office of the President, the Scholarships Secretariat was a strategic response to Ghana’s post-independence development agenda.
It was designed to ensure that financially disadvantaged Ghanaians would not be denied access to tertiary and professional education, particularly in disciplines aligned with national development goals.
According to the minority, the Secretariat was established not merely as an administrative body, but as a moral and policy instrument of social mobility, national equity and human capital development.
“In 2017, upon assumption of office, the then-government inherited a substantial outstanding debt of approximately USD 57.5 million at the time.
“However, instead of suspending support, the government acted decisively to clear these debts and ensured the continuity of education for Ghanaian students abroad.
“Today, students in Memphis, Tennessee, numbering over 180, are on the verge of being ejected from their university housing, deregistered for the Fall 2025 semester and stripped off their student visa status.
“Many have had to begin paying their rent in dire circumstances. Equally worrying are parallel reports emerging from students in the UK and Eastern Europe facing similar threats. Some are already skipping meals, unable to afford necessities, all while carrying the psychological burden of academic performance in foreign lands.
“We urge the Government of Ghana, through the Office of the President, the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Scholarships Secretariat, to immediately initiate payment plans, restore open communication channels with affected institutions, and release funds to regularise the status of all Ghanaian scholarship beneficiaries abroad.
“Ghana’s international reputation as a nation that honours its commitments, especially to its youth, must not be jeopardised.
“The long-term implications of this crisis are profound: if left unresolved, we risk not only the loss of academic years but the erosion of global goodwill, the drying up of future bilateral educational support, and a deepening brain drain.
“As the July deadlines for housing and academic registration draw closer, the Minority Committee on Education calls on the Government of Ghana, the Ghana Scholarships Secretariat and all relevant stakeholders to act swiftly, humanely and comprehensively,” the Minority concluded.
By Collins Adu-Gyamfi
