Minority Calls for Urgent Payment of Outstanding Fees for Ghanaian Students in the UK

The Minority Caucus in Parliament has urged the Government to immediately settle tuition and related fees owed to Ghanaian students studying at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom under the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat.
The call follows petitions from affected students, who revealed that fees for the 2024, 2025, and part of the 2026 academic years remain unpaid. This has led the University to withhold academic records, including transcripts and certificates, putting students at risk of deportation after their visas expired on January 30, 2026, and blocking them from securing graduate visas under the UK’s post-study work arrangement. Currently, 36 Ghanaian PhD students are affected, with over GH₵5.7 million needed to clear outstanding tuition for the 2025/2026 academic year.
Speaking on behalf of the Caucus, Hajia Fatahiya Abdul Aziz, Deputy Ranking Member on Gender and MP for Savulugu, described the situation as deeply troubling, noting that the students traveled abroad under government sponsorship. “These young men and women left Ghana with the assurance that their financial obligations would be met by the Republic. That assurance was not a favour, but a promise made in the name of Ghana. Today, they face humiliation and uncertainty because that promise has not been kept,” she said.
Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin added that immigration authorities in the UK have given the students one week to return home due to unpaid fees, stressing the strict procedures of the UK government. The petition also revealed that many students have exhausted personal savings, with some resorting to food banks to meet basic needs while struggling with accommodation and other essential expenses. Despite engaging the Scholarship Secretariat and the Ghana High Commission in London—and even agreeing to forfeit certain stipends to enable tuition payments—months have passed without resolution.
The Minority is calling on the Ministries of Education and Foreign Affairs to urgently intervene, including diplomatic engagement with the University of Birmingham to secure temporary relief for the students. They also demand a comprehensive review of the Scholarship Secretariat to address structural and managerial weaknesses, emphasizing that the dignity of Ghanaian students abroad must be protected and the credibility of scholarship programs preserved.