Ghana’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Sabah Zita Benson, has assured Ghanaian PhD students studying in the UK that the government is actively working to resolve longstanding delays in the payment of their tuition fees and stipends.
The assurance was given during a meeting with executives of the PhD Scholars’ Cohort in the United Kingdom, following growing concerns over outstanding scholarship obligations that had prompted the students to plan a two-day protest.
The students had warned that the protest could cause “huge embarrassment” to Ghana if the situation was not urgently addressed. They cited prolonged delays in the release of funds, despite being sponsored by the Government of Ghana with assurances of full tuition coverage and monthly stipends ranging between £1,023 and £1,200.
According to the scholars, some beneficiaries have gone months—and in certain cases years—without receiving financial support.
They added that the situation has led to increased withdrawals from academic programmes, with several students facing hunger, homelessness, and mental distress. Others, they noted, have been classified as inactive by their universities due to unpaid fees.
In a Facebook post on Thursday, January 22, 2026, High Commissioner Benson acknowledged the students’ concerns and reassured them that the government is working to resolve not only their challenges but those affecting all scholarship beneficiaries abroad.
She appealed for patience, explaining that the outstanding debt burden is significant and requires careful coordination to be addressed sustainably.
Following the engagement, the executives of the PhD Scholars’ Cohort agreed, in the spirit of cooperation and good faith, to suspend their planned protest.
Ghana risks global embarrassment over planned protest – UK-based PhD students
