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About 110 Ghanaian PhD students studying in the United Kingdom under the sponsorship of the Ghana Scholarships Secretariat (GSS) are facing possible deportation and expulsion due to prolonged non-payment of tuition fees and stipends, with some arrears dating back four years.
In a statement dated November 9, 2025, and addressed to Ghana’s High Commissioner to the UK, Sabah Zita Benson, the students described their situation as “perilous,” noting that several members have been evicted from their accommodation, barred from attending classes, or issued deportation notices by the UK Home Office.
According to the group, monthly stipends ranging between £1,023 and £1,200 have not been paid for several months, leaving many unable to meet basic living expenses such as rent, food, and transportation.
“Some of our members are owed as much as 48 months in stipends, meaning they have not received any payment since the start of their PhD programme,” the statement revealed.
They also disclosed that about 10 students have been formally withdrawn from their universities due to unpaid tuition fees, while others are unable to register for the 2025/2026 academic year because their renewal letters and progression reviews from the Scholarships Secretariat have not been issued.
“For nearly 10 months, we have had neither the progression review nor the renewal letters from the GSS. This has resulted in our inability to register for this academic year, of which we are already two months into the study year,” the students noted.
The group estimated that approximately £400,000 is needed to sustain their studies for the current academic year, but said government efforts to clear the arrears have been “woefully inadequate.”
Some students who travelled to Ghana for data collection were reportedly denied re-entry into the UK after their universities flagged unpaid tuition fees to immigration authorities.
The affected scholars have appealed to President John Dramani Mahama and Ghana’s new High Commissioner to the UK to intervene urgently to prevent what they described as an impending humanitarian and diplomatic crisis.
“We are of the firm belief that students should not face the consequences for administrative errors and indiscretions made by public officials,” the statement concluded, while acknowledging ongoing government efforts to reform the scholarship system for greater transparency and fairness.
