The University of Memphis in the United States (U.S.)has not officially ended its scholarship agreement with the Ghana Scholarships Authority (GSA), which is set to expire in 2028.

Addressing the media, the Acting Executive Director of the GSA, Alex Kwaku Asafo-Agyei, emphasized that the scholarship agreement remains valid and that discussions are ongoing to resolve outstanding issues between the two parties.

He disclosed that as part-payment of the arrears, the Ministry of Finance released $500,000 to the University of Memphis on Wednesday, August 26.

He added, “As we speak, no official or unofficial notice of termination has been served on the GSA, neither have there been any discussions with the Authority that remotely suggest that the agreement has been terminated or is being terminated.”

Ghana’s Scholarships Secretariat and the University of Memphis had agreed to allocate 70% of the scholarship opportunities to STEM programmes, while the remaining 30% were reserved for graduate business programmes. However, recent reports circulating suggest that the University of Memphis has severed ties with Ghana over outstanding tuition payments totalling nearly $4 million.

However, the university has disclosed that Ghana has failed to fulfill its obligations under the agreement signed between the two parties.

According to University management, Ghana still owes nearly $4 million in tuition fees under the scholarship arrangement. It added that in July 2025, Ghana’s debt stood at $3.6 million, but two $1 million payments were made in August that year.

This development leaves nearly 100 Ghanaian students stranded, with their academic programmes hanging in the balance. Over the weekend, authorities at the University of Memphis declared their intention to dismiss Ghanaian students studying on government scholarships over unpaid fees.

According to them, all attempts to resolve the matter with the Scholarship Secretariat yielded no results. Speaking to the media, one of the affected students disclosed that they risk dismissal if their outstanding debts are not settled within a week.

“We have barely a week. If there is no solution to this problem, we are going to be in serious trouble. I don’t think the current administrative climate in the US will favour us in any way,” he said.

Last year, Ghanaian awardees in Memphis, most of whom are pursuing science, engineering, and business-related courses, faced the threat of eviction from University housing and possibly deportation should the government miss the deadline.

In July, the government made a payment of $1.4 million to the school. Speaking to the media, the Registrar of the Ghana Scholarships Secretariat, Alex Kwaku Asafo-Agyei, on Wednesday, July 30, reiterated the government’s commitment to settling the outstanding debt owed to the University of Memphis to safeguard the education of Ghanaian students.

“We are on course with the issues regarding the Ghanaian students at the University of Memphis. Ghanaian students will not be deported; I give you that assurance. Because the audit is ongoing, we are not paying all,” he said.

The funds were released swiftly after the University of Memphis declared its intention to revoke the scholarships of Ghanaian students should the government of Ghana miss an August 9 deadline.

The affected students appealed for urgent support from the government to avoid returning home and abandoning their studies. The leader of the Ghanaian student cohort, Fredrick Badu-Asamoah, expressed deep frustration over the situation.

“This situation is heartbreaking. We’re not here on personal funds—we’re here representing the Republic of Ghana. We’ve written to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ghana Embassy in Washington, and the Ghana Scholarships Secretariat, and efforts to reach the Presidency proved futile, and we’ve received no decisive intervention,” he said.

President of the University of Memphis, Dr Bill Hardgrave, attributed Ghana’s delay in clearing outstanding debts to the change of government. The University also launched an appeal for donations through the Gary Shorb International Student Support Fund.

In response to the scholarship crisis, the Minister of Youth Development and Empowerment, George Opare Addo, revealed that the debt owed in terms of scholarships affects several schools across the world.

He said that an audit is underway to investigate the circumstances surrounding the scholarship debt crisis. “There is a debt of fees that we have across the world. And so my registrar now has to go around the world and negotiate with schools, and that is what we’ve been undertaking in the last four, five months. I keep sending him—go here, go there—because you keep getting threats all over the world: ‘We are going to sack your students,’” he said during an appearance on Joy News’ PM Express on Tuesday, July 23.

The previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) government left a startling GH¢700 million in unpaid scholarship debt, according to the Minister. He described the current situation as a “bad, bad, bad mess” that threatens the future of Ghanaian students abroad and the country’s international reputation.

“The current bill that I have is over GH¢700 million in debt that we have to find money to pay,” he said.

Given the current state of the economy and the ballooning debt crisis, the Minister was asked whether the government had enough to pay—or was even willing to pay—the GH¢700 million.

In an empathetic response, he said, “It involves Ghanaian students; it involves lives. It involves our citizens. And so we must find the money to pay.”

While admitting that Ghana currently does not have this money in cash, he said negotiations are ongoing. He also commended the Chief of Staff for his input during negotiations on the terms of the debt.

“The Chief of Staff has been very helpful. With the Finance Minister and the Chief of Staff, we are working closely to offset the debt… So yes, we will pay, but we have to negotiate.”

Some schools, Mr Opare said, have shown a positive response, understanding that the debt was inherited from the previous government. “They know that we are a new government that has come in. We inherited these problems, and so we are aligning and fixing them gradually.”

He also responded to reports of students receiving threats of eviction from their schools. “You can’t blame this government for the mess we inherited. And most of these things have been outstanding for a year or two,” he continued.

Mr Opare revealed that a meeting had been held with a group of students in London, and sadly, some of the affected students have decided to forfeit their stipends in exchange for a further stay abroad to continue their education or seek a job.

“They had the option of choosing between being paid their stipends and returning to Ghana or letting it go to stay. If I pay your fees, you must come back and help. So, do you want to stay? If you are going to stay there, I’m not going to pay your stipend, because you have already finished school. And so, a lot of them said, ‘Okay, let the stipends go.”

“A lot of the students have opted out. We held a meeting with some of them in London and gave them some options.”

Although he declined to disclose the options discussed, he revealed that a major issue lies with stipends owed to students who have already graduated.

“Somebody might have finished school for two years, and the government still owes him or her stipends, but per the law, once you finish, you must come back home. And a lot of them want to remain there,” he revealed.

He emphasized that a continued stay abroad after graduation without returning violates the terms of the scholarship. Ghanaian students studying abroad on government scholarships have, over the years, faced similar threats over unpaid debts.

In late 2024, some Ghanaian students at the University of Birmingham in the UK were warned of deportation following the revocation of their student visas.

This was a result of their failure to settle tuition fees. News of their impending deportation was contained in a statement from UK Visas and Immigration. According to the letter, which was sent to the affected students, they were given the option to leave voluntarily or face legal consequences, including possible detention and prosecution.

“You still have permission until 09 November 2024, and the current conditions of your stay will continue to apply until then. Please ensure that you comply with these conditions.“You now have until 09 November 2024 to either leave the United Kingdom (UK) or make another application to stay here. You do not have a right of appeal or administrative review against the decision to cancel your permission.

“If you leave or are already outside the Common Travel Area (the UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, and the Republic of Ireland) before 9 November 2024, your permission will end immediately, and you will have to make a new application to re-enter the UK,” the letter added.

Even in schools in Russia and Algeria, Ghanaian students continue to wallow in debt due to unpaid fees by the government of Ghana. They have lived in foreign lands for nearly a year without stipends, while book and health allowances have not been paid for two academic years.