The National Union of Ghanaian Students in the United Kingdom (NUGS-UK) has held a crucial meeting with Ghana’s High Commissioner to the UK, H.E. Sabah Zita Benson, to address growing concerns over unpaid stipends and tuition arrears owed to government-sponsored Ghanaian students.
The engagement, held in London, focused on the over £32 million debt accumulated by the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat as of the end of 2024—a situation that has left many students financially distressed and uncertain about their academic future.
According to information shared during the meeting, the Government of Ghana has paid £3 million within the last ten months, mainly covering tuition and stipends for students with medical or special circumstances. However, due to the debt burden, no new students were sponsored for the current academic year.
“NUGS-UK is deeply concerned about the impact of these delays on our members. We are working closely with the Ghana High Commission to ensure the situation is resolved swiftly and transparently,” the Union said in a statement after the meeting.
As part of efforts to verify outstanding claims and facilitate payments, the High Commission announced that a re-registration exercise would soon begin for all current and past beneficiaries of the Scholarship Secretariat.
The Union also appealed to students to remain calm and avoid expressing frustrations through social media, NGOs, or other public channels.
“We understand the frustration many of our members feel, but we urge all students to engage NUGS-UK or the Education Section of the Ghana High Commission directly. This will ensure their issues are addressed appropriately.”
Addressing misinformation circulating online, NUGS-UK dismissed rumours suggesting that tuition and accommodation fees had been paid for students at Robert Gordon University and the University of Aberdeen.
“Those claims are false. Students should rely solely on verified information from official sources.”
NUGS-UK reaffirmed its commitment to advocating for the welfare, academic progress, and fair treatment of all Ghanaian students in the UK.
“Our mission remains to represent the interests of every Ghanaian student in the UK. We will continue to engage the Ghana High Commission and the Government of Ghana until lasting solutions are achieved.”
