GHANAIAN SCHOLARS IN UK FACE IMMINENT DEPORTATION OVER UNPAID FEES, 48 MONTHS OF STIPENDS IN ARREARS

Government-sponsored PhD students in the UK face the terrible prospect of deportation and removal from their academic programs due to unpaid tuition and stipends that have been past due for up to 48 months.

At least 10 students have already been excluded or withdrew from their universities, according to a news release issued by the executives of the Ghanaian PhD cohort in the UK on Thursday, November 9.

“About 10 of our members are currently excluded or withdrawn from their studies due to non-payment of tuition fees and are awaiting potential notification from the Home Office for their deportation,” the statement said.

The students disclosed that the arrears have crippled their ability to study and live decently.

“Some of our members are owed as much as 48 months in stipends.

According to the association, many of its members have not received their stipends, which range from £1,023 to £1,200 per month, for months or even years.

The students revealed that their capacity to learn and lead respectable lives has been severely hampered by the backlog.

“Several of our colleagues have been evicted from their homes, while some are facing legal proceedings for defaulting on several months of unpaid rent,” they lamented.

This means that, for some, they have not received any payment from the Ghanaian government since the start of their PhD programme.”

Currently, around 110 students sponsored by the Ghana Scholarships Secretariat (GSS) are enrolled in PhD programmes across UK universities.

The group said the crisis extends beyond tuition arrears, as “36 of our members are urgently in need of renewal letters with no solution in sight.” Without these renewal letters, students are unable to re-enrol or continue their research.

The statement also described how unpaid tuition has led to serious academic and immigration challenges.

“Some have finished their courses but cannot graduate. For those who managed to attend their graduations, they have no certificate due to pending tuition fees,” the students said.

Others who travelled to Ghana for data collection have reportedly been refused re-entry to the UK “due to outstanding tuition fees owed to the universities and also the Home Office’s notice of deportation issues against their profiles.”

The scholars noted that while the GSS has made “recent efforts” to settle payments for some students, these efforts remain “woefully inadequate.”

NKONKONSA.com