Nearly 100 Ghanaian students at the University of Memphis in the United States risk being unable to continue their education after the university ended its scholarship partnership with Ghana over an outstanding tuition debt of nearly $4 million.

The students, who are beneficiaries of the Ghana Scholarships Secretariat’s scholarship programme, are reportedly unable to register for the new academic term unless they secure alternative funding to cover their tuition.

The development comes as the university prepares to begin its fall semester, creating uncertainty for students who had expected their scholarships to cover the cost of their studies.

According to a report by citinewsroom.com on August 31, 2026, the University of Memphis has confirmed that Ghana’s outstanding tuition obligations under the partnership have reached nearly $4 million.

The debt stood at $3.6 million in July 2025, after which the Ghanaian government made two separate payments of $1 million in August 2025. However, the outstanding amount later increased.

University of Memphis President, Bill Hardgrave, previously linked the delays in payment to Ghana’s change in government and the resulting effect on the national budget.

“The continued delay has now placed the affected students in a difficult position, with the university warning of possible academic dismissal, immigration complications and the loss of accommodation and other student support,” the report said.

The university said the students had become responsible, through no fault of their own, for finding ways to secure their academic future and that it had communicated possible options to help them complete their programmes.

The affected Ghanaian students are enrolled in programmes including science, engineering and business. Earlier reports also indicated that the students had an average cumulative GPA of 3.75.

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The scholarship partnership was established in 2023 following an initiative involving the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, after his visit to the Memphis in May International Festival.

Under the agreement, up to 70 percent of the scholarship opportunities were reserved for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics programmes, with the remaining opportunities targeted at graduate business programmes.

The Ghana Scholarships Secretariat has attributed the payment challenges to an ongoing audit and administrative processes involving state institutions responsible for processing and transferring scholarship funds.

In July 2025, the Secretariat confirmed that the government owed the university $3.6 million and had made an initial payment of $400,000 while processing an additional $1 million.

The latest development has heightened concerns over the students’ ability to remain enrolled, particularly those who are close to completing their programmes.

Their immigration status could also be affected if they fail to maintain the full-time enrolment required of international students.

The University of Memphis says it is engaging the affected students to explore options that could allow them to remain on campus and complete their studies.

The students are now hoping for alternative funding or government intervention to settle the outstanding debt and prevent disruption to their education.

MRA/BAI

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