The minority in Parliament has called for urgent government action to clear all fee arrears of scholarship students at Birmingham University and other universities in the United Kingdom.
Dozens of Ghanaian master’s and PhD students are currently stranded in the UK and other international universities, as the government is yet to fully pay their scholarship funds.
Addressing a press conference on the matter on March 17, the Member of Parliament for Savelugu, Hajia Abdul Aziz Fatahiya, said the situation has compelled some students in Birmingham and other UK universities to depend on public food banks for feeding.
Expressing concern over petitions received, she said, “We are very concerned with troubling petitions from a group of Ghanaian students currently studying at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom under the sponsorship of the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat.”
She explained that the petition raises serious concerns, stating that “the contents of this petition raise serious concerns about the manner in which the state is honouring its obligation to Ghanaian students studying abroad under the government scholarship program.”
Emphasising the circumstances of the students, she noted that, “These young men and women did not travel abroad on personal ventures. They left Ghana under the authority and sponsorship of the Republic.”
She added, “They secured admission to pursue advanced studies in fields that are critical to our country’s development. They embarked on this journey, leaving behind families and familiar environments because the state assured them that a financial commitment attached to their sponsorship award would be honoured.”
Stressing the weight of that commitment, she said, “That assurance was not a favour. It was a promise made by the name of the Republic of Ghana. Yet, today, these students find themselves in a distressing and humiliating situation that should concern every Ghanaian.”
According to the petition submitted to the Minority Caucus, tuition fees for the 2024–2025 academic year remain unpaid by the government of Ghana through irrelevant scholarship authorities.
As a result, the University of Braham has withheld the students’ academic records, including their transcripts and certificates, pending the settlement of outstanding fees, a situation she described as troubling.
Highlighting the severity of the issue, she stated, “This alone is troubling, but the situation is even more dire.”
Reiterating the concern, she further said, “This alone is troubling, but the situation is even more alarming.”
Providing context on the implications, she explained that, “In the United Kingdom, universities operate within strict regulatory frameworks, governing international students.”
She warned that, “When a student’s academic status becomes irregular, often as a result of unpaid fees, institutions are obligated to report the matter to the United Kingdom Home Office, which then determines the immigration consequences.”
On the students’ immigration status, she revealed that, “The students have informed us that their visas expired on January 30, in response to efforts to avoid overstaying and breaching UK immigration laws.”
She added that, “Some of them applied for graduate visas under the post-study work arrangement. However, these applications were declined because their tuition obligations remained unsettled by their financial sponsors.”
Describing the hardship being faced, she said, “The petition also paints a painful picture of the hardship these students are currently enduring.”
She continued, “Many have exhausted their personal savings while waiting for the state to fulfill its obligations. Some have reportedly resorted to food banks simply to meet their basic nutritional needs while struggling to pay for accommodation and other essential expenses.”
Condemning the situation, she stressed that “no Ghanaian student sent abroad by the state should be reduced to such indignity.”
She further highlighted the emotional toll, saying, “The emotional and psychological burden created by this uncertainty is considerable. These students left Ghana with hope, ambition, and a sense of national duty. Today, they face anxiety, embarrassment, and the frightening possibility that their academic journey would be cut short through no fault of their own.”
Touching on efforts made by the students, she noted that, “What makes this situation even more troubling is that the affected students have not remained silent. They have engaged the Ghana scholarship secretariat and reached out to officials at the Ghana High Commission in the United Kingdom.”
She added, “In these engagements, they were repeatedly assured that the matter would be resolved. Yet months have passed by, and those assurances have not translated into action.”
Calling for urgent intervention, she urged that, “We further urge the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration to immediately engage the leadership of the University of Birmingham through the appropriate diplomatic channels to secure temporary administrative relief for the affected students while the financial issues are being resolved.”
She also pointed to systemic concerns, stating that, “At the same time, this incident exposes deeper administrative weaknesses within the management of Ghana scholarship programs.”
She added that “A comprehensive review must be taken into the operations of the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat to determine whether structural, financial, or managerial failures have contributed to the current situation.”
She stressed the need for prompt action, noting that young people should not be left to face avoidable challenges. She added that the minority caucus expects the relevant authorities to act swiftly and decisively, emphasising that when Ghana invests in its youth, it must support them every step of the way.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com