Ghana Owes £5m in Outstanding Stipends to PhD Students in UK – High Commissioner

Ghana’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Sabah Zita Benson, has disclosed that the government currently owes about £5 million in unpaid stipends and tuition fees to Ghanaian PhD students studying in the UK.

Speaking on PM Express Business Edition on Joy News, she explained that the outstanding payments largely involve doctoral students who have already completed their programmes but continue to request the financial support promised under their scholarship award letters.

According to her, some beneficiaries finished their studies as far back as 2023 but remain in the UK while pursuing payment of stipends they believe are still owed to them.

She noted that the situation is most significant among PhD candidates, whose combined claims for tuition and stipends now total roughly £5 million.

The High Commissioner also revealed that tensions have risen recently, with some affected students threatening to stage a protest on April 17. She mentioned that several student leaders involved in the discussions—including one identified as Pansa—had already defended their theses and completed their programmes.

Despite finishing their studies, she said many of the students are still awaiting payment, with some already employed as lecturers in universities in the UK while continuing to seek settlement of their stipends.

Mrs. Benson stressed that the development highlights the importance of enforcing stricter scholarship regulations. She referenced provisions in Section 31 of the new scholarships framework, which requires beneficiaries who remain abroad after completing their studies to refund funds spent on them if they choose not to return home.