The open letter, authored by Pius Apprey of the University of Kent, appeals for urgent financial assistance for Ghanaian students studying abroad under the Ghana Government Scholarship.

Apprey focuses on what he says is the severe financial difficulties faced by scholarship recipients, particularly those in the UK, which challenges stem from unpaid stipends and tuition fees, causing immense hardship for the students.

Apprey explains that although students were promised full coverage of tuition and monthly stipends for living expenses, this has not been fulfilled. He says many students have only received stipends for nine out of the 37 months they have been abroad, leaving them with significant unpaid balances.

As a result, students face evictions, lawsuits, academic withdrawals, and in extreme cases, resorting to desperate measures for survival, including male students selling sperm and female students engaging in relationships for financial support.

While the government recently announced a release of GHȼ50 million to address the issue, Apprey argues that this amount is insufficient. He provides an analysis showing that the funds would only cover tuition fees for about 127 students, leaving over 650 students without support. Furthermore, the issue of unpaid stipends remains unresolved, compounding the financial struggles of many scholarship recipients.

Apprey highlights the need for greater equity and transparency in fund distribution and warns that the partial release of funds may lead to increased pressure from creditors. The letter emphasizes that this situation affects not only current students but also previous scholarship recipients who have completed their studies but are still owed stipends.

He concludes with an appeal to President Akufo-Addo to release additional funds to cover all outstanding payments for tuition and stipends, ensuring that all students can complete their studies without further financial stress. The letter expresses gratitude for the president's support and urges immediate action to resolve the crisis.

Below is the letter in full

Open Letter to Mr. President of Ghana

Appeal for Urgent Financial Support for Students on GOG Scholarship Abroad

Your Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo,

I bring you greetings, and extend my warmest wishes to you and your esteemed government. May peace be upon you as you continue to lead our beloved nation, Ghana.

I hope this letter finds you well. I am sending this letter on behalf of suffering beneficiaries of the Ghana Government Scholarship studying in the UK.

First and foremost, I wish to express my profound gratitude for the opportunity provided by your government for us to pursue our studies abroad. This invaluable chance to acquire knowledge and experiences is one that we hold dear, as it will enable us to contribute meaningfully to the development of our cherished country upon our return.

However, I feel compelled to bring to your attention some serious challenges that we, the scholarship beneficiaries, are currently facing. These difficulties have made our learning experience increasingly stressful and, in some cases, almost impossible. Under the sponsorship awarded to us through the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat, we were assured that our tuition fees would be fully covered and that we would receive monthly stipends to cater for our accommodation, bills, and other essential needs. Regrettably, this promise has not been fully realized.

Many of us have been here for approximately 37 months, yet we have only received stipends for 9 of those months. This leaves us with 26 months of unpaid stipends. Furthermore, for the majority of us, tuition fees have not been paid, leading to some students being withdrawn from their universities and facing the looming threat of deportation. Additionally, some students have been locked out of their student portals, making it impossible for them to engage in any academic activities. Others have been evicted from their residences due to unpaid rent, and others are facing court litigations as their landlords have sued them in courts. Others have had to resort to sleeping in their university libraries because of their inability to pay for their accommodation. The majority have received communications from their schools warning of potential withdrawal from our respective programmes.

The dire situation has forced some students into desperate measures for survival. There are male students who have resorted to selling their sperm, while some female students have been forced into relationships, all in a bid to survive as we strive to complete us studies.

In a recent interview on City FM featuring a fellow beneficiary and Mr Richard Gyamfi, a management member at the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat, it was revealed that GHS 50 million has been released to address the challenges we are facing. This follows the promise by the Vice President at his interaction with the media. While this gesture is appreciated, a detailed analysis of the situation indicates that the funds may not suffice to resolve the pressing issues we are grappling with.

To provide a clearer perspective, allow me to present the following analysis based on students who were awarded the scholarship in only the 2023/2024 academic year:

1. Total Participants on the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat (GSS) 2023/2024 General WhatsApp Platform:

The platform currently hosts 787 participants, including both GSS administrators and students. Assuming that approximately 7 of these participants are GSS administrators, it can be inferred that 780 participants are active students.

2. Proposed Government Release:

As mentioned by Mr. Gyamfi, the proposed government release amounts to GHS 50 million. At the current exchange rate of 1 GBP = 20.67 GHS, this equates to approximately £2.4 million.

3. Estimated Tuition Fees:

The average tuition fee per student is estimated to be £19,000. Given the proposed release, these funds would only cover the tuition fees of approximately 127 students.

4. Implications:

This scenario leaves over 653 students without coverage for their tuition fees. Additionally, the issue of unpaid stipends remains unresolved.

Several critical concerns arise from these findings, including the equity and transparency of fund distribution and the potential fallout from the inadequate allocation. The release of these funds may lead to increased pressure from creditors, as they might assume that students have received their full entitlements.

Your Excellency, this analysis only covers the 2023/2024 GSS beneficiaries and does not account for all other batches, and even those who have completed but are still owed stipends. Therefore, the magnitude of the problem is likely far greater than what is outlined here.

In light of these circumstances, I humbly appeal to you on behalf of all my fellow scholarship beneficiaries, to make additional funds available to cater for all students.

We remain forever grateful for your continued support.

Yours faithfully,

Pius Apprey 

University of Kent