Ghana races to settle $3.6m debt as scholarship students face eviction from US university

Business Insider

4 days ago

Ghana's government is facing mounting criticism following reports that nearly 200 Ghanaian students on scholarship at the University of Memphis in the United States may be displaced due to unpaid tuition fees totalling $3.6 million.
Ghanaian government faces criticism for unpaid tuition fees amounting to $3.6 million for scholarship students in the US.
Nearly 200 Ghanaian students at the University of Memphis may be displaced due to funding issues.
The students, enrolled in STEM and business programs, risk losing campus accommodation by August 2025.
University issues August 9 eviction deadline
The 185 affected students, who are beneficiaries of a Ghana government scholarship programme, have been asked by the University to find alternative sources of funding or vacate their campus accommodation by 9 August 2025. The students are currently studying science, engineering, and business-related programmes.
Dr Bill Hardgrave, President of the University of Memphis, confirmed the situation during an interview with Action News 5's Better Memphis show.
'The students are sponsored by the government from Ghana, which has not paid the students' tuition in some time,' he said.
Dr Hardgrave revealed that the amount owed by the Ghanaian government totals $3.6 million, warning that the delay in payment could disrupt the students' education.
Dr Hardgrave suggested that political changes in Ghana following the December 2024 general elections might have affected budgetary allocations for foreign scholarships.
'I think there was a regime change in Ghana and that affected the budget, but we're hopeful that gets corrected because we'd love to keep those students on campus,' he added.
Students face academic disruption
The students now face the grim reality of dropping out and returning to Ghana if urgent steps are not taken. The University of Memphis has reportedly informed them that unless payment is made, they must vacate their residence halls by the stated deadline.
With only a few weeks left before the deadline, the educational futures of 185 Ghanaian students hang in the balance, awaiting swift intervention from the Ghanaian government or international benefactors. Without that lifeline, the consequences could be devastating for students who have come so far in pursuit of academic excellence abroad.