About 110 Ghanaian PhD Students in UK Face Deportation Over Scholarship Payment Delays

About 110 Ghanaian PhD students studying in the United Kingdom under the Ghana Scholarships Secretariat (GSS) are at risk of deportation and university expulsion due to prolonged non-payment of tuition fees and stipends, some delayed for up to four years.

In a statement dated November 9, 2025, addressed to Ghana’s High Commissioner to the UK, Sabah Zita Benson, the students described the situation as “a perilous stage.” Several members have reportedly been evicted from accommodation, barred from classes, or issued deportation notices by the Home Office.

Stipends ranging from £1,023 to £1,200 per month have not been disbursed for several months, leaving students unable to cover rent, food, and transportation. Some scholars are owed as much as 48 months in arrears, meaning they have not received payment since the start of their PhD programmes.

An estimated 10 students have been formally withdrawn from their universities due to unpaid tuition fees, while others are unable to register for the 2025/2026 academic year because the GSS has not issued renewal letters or progression reviews.

The students stated that about £400,000 is needed to sustain their studies for the current academic year. They also reported that colleagues who travelled to Ghana for data collection have been refused re-entry to the UK due to their universities reporting unpaid fees to immigration authorities.

Appealing to President John Dramani Mahama and Ghana’s High Commissioner to the UK, the cohort urged immediate intervention to prevent a potential 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 read.

While the group acknowledged government efforts to reform the scholarship system to ensure transparency and fairness, they emphasized that urgent action is required to resolve the current crisis.