Over 180 Ghanaian students at the University of Memphis could lose their scholarships due to the country failing to “fully meet its financial obligations,” the university said in a statement on July 7.
According to the university, in 2023, the U of M signed a memorandum of understanding with the Republic of Ghana for a scholarship program.
The Ghana Scholarship Secretariat, funded by Ghana, was designed to cover tuition and fees for students studying abroad.
“The Ghana Scholarship Secretariat has failed to fully meet its financial obligations,” the university said in a statement. “As a result, these students face academic dismissal, visa complications, and loss of housing and support, through no fault of their own if GSS does not fully meet all financial obligations.”
International students from any foreign country could lose their F-1 visa if they fail to maintain full-time enrollment and may be required to leave the country.
The university has been in contact with the Republic of Ghana, a spokesperson from the U of M said, and has been in communication with students over the last few months regarding the payment issue.
According to reports from Ghana Web, a news outlet in Ghana, the country has only paid $400,000 of the total $3.6 million it owes to the university for the scholarship program.
In a post on LinkedIn from the scholarship program from March 2024, the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat stated the program is a “fully funded scholarship for international students.”
On a section of a U of M website for financial aid for prospective master’s degree students for the Department of Physics and Materials Science, there is a section specifically for Ghanaian students and links to an outside scholarship website.
“The University of Memphis has an agreement with the Ghana Scholarships Secretariat (GSS). If you are admitted, you can apply to GSS for the Secretariat Scholarship, which will provide both stipend and tuition,” the section states.
The scholarship website, as of 4 p.m. July 7, displayed a message stating “Service under maintenance!!!”
Other Ghana Scholarships Secretariat recipients who attend universities in the United Kingdom have been put in limbo due to “unpaid tuition fees by the Government of Ghana,” according to an article by GhanaWeb.
Brooke Muckerman covers education and children’s issues for The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at brooke.muckerman@commercialappeal.com.
