A group of Ghanaian PhD candidates studying in the United Kingdom has petitioned British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to intervene in what they describe as an escalating financial and academic crisis caused by unpaid tuition fees and stipends owed by the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat, according to myjoyonline.com report.

In a letter dated December 3, 2025, the leadership of the student cohort estimated at about 110 doctoral scholars outlined severe hardships arising from long delays in government disbursements.

The students, who were sponsored with the promise of full tuition coverage and monthly stipends of £1,023 to £1,200, say many have gone months and in some cases years without receiving any payments.

According to the petition, the payment lapses have resulted in hunger, homelessness, and mental health challenges among affected students.

At least 15 scholars have reportedly been withdrawn from their programmes due to outstanding fees, while 30 others have received no financial support for the 2024/2025 academic year.

Some students have lost access to university portals, preventing them from submitting theses or collecting certificates because of unpaid balances.

The group acknowledged a recent release of £1.6 million by the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat to the Ghana High Commission in London.

However, they state that the amount barely made a dent in the mounting tuition debts and did not address years of unpaid stipends. Current stipend arrears reportedly range between five and 48 months, pushing some students into rent-related court cases, evictions, and reliance on charity and food banks.

The situation has also resulted in deportations, as universities have notified the UK Home Office about students withdrawn over non-payment of fees.

Others who have completed their studies say they are stranded in the UK due to debts owed to friends, family, and landlords or because they cannot afford tickets to return home.

The student executives revealed that numerous attempts to seek assistance from Ghanaian authorities including the Ghana High Commission, the Registrar of Scholarships and the Ministry of Education have yielded no lasting solution.

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They estimate that approximately £3.6 million is required to clear the outstanding fees and stipend arrears for PhD students alone and warn that undergraduates and master’s students under the same sponsorship scheme may be facing similar difficulties.

The appeal urges Prime Minister Starmer to use his influence to encourage the Ghanaian government to act urgently, including directly engaging Ghana’s President, John Dramani Mahama.

Copies of the letter were also sent to the Speakers of the British and Scottish Parliaments, the Mayor of London, and several major media organisations.

AM

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