Ghana High Commissioner Asks for Patience on UK PhD Student Scholarship Payments

Ghana’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Sabah Zita Benson, has appealed to Ghanaian PhD students in the UK to exercise patience as efforts continue to clear outstanding scholarship payments, including school fees and stipends. Speaking to JoyNews, High Commissioner Benson said she is working closely with the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat to facilitate the release of funds and assured affected students that payments would be made once resources are available. “They should be patient. I am sure that by the end of this quarter, we should have some of these things resolved. I have been following up with the Scholarship Secretariat personally, and when some money is released, we will be able to pay out some of these debts,” she said. “It is a worry,” she added. She explained that during her engagements with the Secretariat, she was informed that funding delays are linked to budgetary releases from the Ministry of Finance. “They [the Scholarship Secretariat], once the Ministry of Finance releases their budget in the first quarter, will send us some money so that we will be able to settle some of these debts,” she stated. Her comments come amid growing frustration among Ghanaian PhD students in the UK, some of whom have reportedly gone without financial support for more than a year. The situation has left several students facing eviction from hostels and relying on food banks to meet basic needs. High Commissioner Benson urged the students to remain calm and assured them that government is taking steps to fulfil its obligations.