Ghanaian PhD students in UK face hunger, homelessness and deportation

Ghanaian PhD students studying in the United Kingdom have announced plans for a two-day protest to draw attention to persistent delays in the Government of Ghana's payment of tuition fees and stipends.

The students, who are sponsored under the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat, say the situation has become untenable, leaving many facing severe financial hardship, academic sanctions, and the risk of deportation.

According to the group, although £1.6 million was released last year by the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat to the Ghana High Commission in London, the amount was insufficient to clear accumulated tuition arrears and did not cover outstanding stipends owed to students.

They argue that the government’s continued silence, despite repeated complaints and engagements, has led to an increase in withdrawals from academic programmes across several UK universities.

Ghanaian PhD students in the UK begin mass withdrawals over unpaid scholarships

The students explained that they were sponsored with assurances of full tuition coverage and monthly stipends ranging from £1,023 to £1,200.

However, many say they have gone for months, and in some cases, years, without receiving these payments.

As a result, several students report experiencing hunger, homelessness, and mental distress, while others have been compelled to suspend or completely withdraw from their studies.

In 2025, it was reported that at least 15 Ghanaian PhD students in the UK had already been withdrawn from their programmes due to unpaid tuition fees.

A further 30 students reportedly received no payment at all for the 2024/2025 academic year.

The group also says outstanding debts have prevented some students from accessing their university portals, submitting theses, graduating, or obtaining academic certificates.

One such case involves a Ghanaian PhD student, Raphael Botchie, at De Montfort University in Leicester.

In correspondence seen by this paper, the university informed Botchie that he had been provisionally terminated from his programme due to non-payment of fees.

In a letter dated January 2026, De Montfort University warned that if the outstanding fees were not settled by 4:00 pm on 12 February 2026, the institution would complete the termination process.

The university further cautioned that it would notify the UK Home Office that it was no longer sponsoring the student, a move that would lead to the cancellation of his visa and leave him with just 60 days to remain in the UK.

“If your fees have not been paid by the deadline, the university will complete the termination process,” the letter stated, adding that the Home Office would be informed and the student’s visa curtailed.

Earlier correspondence from the university’s finance department indicated that £3,625 was due by 30 November 2025, with the remaining balance payable by 31 January 2026.

The university also informed the student that it would no longer send invoices to the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat.

In response, Botchie wrote to the university requesting that the invoice be forwarded to the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat at the Ghana High Commission in London, stressing that he remained a government-sponsored student and had already notified the authorities of the outstanding fees.

The protesting students say Botchie’s case is not isolated, but reflects the growing vulnerability of Ghanaian scholarship beneficiaries in the UK, many of whom now face the threat of visa cancellations through no fault of their own.

They say the planned two-day protest is intended to compel the government to urgently release funds to clear tuition arrears and pay outstanding stipends, warning that further delays could permanently damage the academic careers and well-being of affected students.

The group has called on the Ministry of Education, the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to intervene immediately to avert further withdrawals, deportations, and reputational damage to Ghana’s scholarship programme.