A financial crisis threatening the academic future of nearly 200 Ghanaian students at the University of Memphis has been temporarily averted.
The University of Memphis has confirmed the receipt of a $1 million payment from the government, a critical measure that has halted eviction and deportation threats against the students.
The payment, however, is a partial solution to a larger problem.
The university stated that it only addresses a fraction of the total $3.6 million debt owed by the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat (GSS) under a government sponsorship programme, leaving an outstanding balance of $2.2 million.
The situation came to a head earlier this month when the university issued a stern warning that Ghanaian students risked losing their scholarships, on-campus housing, and legal residency if their outstanding fees were not settled by a deadline of August 9, 2025.
Addressing the issue at a press conference in Accra on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, GSS Registrar Alex Kwaku Asafo-Agyei acknowledged the payment delays but assured that students would not be deported.
“We are now processing a $1 million payment,” Asafo-Agyei confirmed.
He explained that delays in the transfer of funds were a result of an ongoing audit, adding that the payment was being routed through Ghana’s Controller and Accountant General’s Department and the Bank of Ghana for final transfer.
The University of Memphis President, Dr. Bill Hardgrave, had earlier attributed the payment delays to Ghana’s recent political transition following the December 2024 elections.
He expressed hope for a swift resolution to the issue.
“I think there was a regime change in Ghana, and that affected the budget, but we’re hopeful that gets corrected because we’d love to keep those students on campus,” Dr. Hardgrave said.
The affected students are primarily enrolled in high-demand science, engineering, and business programs.
This incident underscores the significant financial and bureaucratic challenges faced by many international students who rely on government sponsorship.
The University of Memphis has encouraged donations to its Gary Shorb International Student Support Fund to provide emergency aid to the students while the full payment is awaited.
This is not the first time Ghanaian students abroad have faced such a crisis. Similar reports of delayed fee payments and financial difficulties have emerged from students in the United Kingdom, Russia, China, and Eastern Europe, highlighting a recurring challenge in managing foreign scholarships and financial commitments.
The incident shines a spotlight on the need for streamlined, reliable, and transparent processes to prevent future disruptions to the education of Ghana’s sponsored students abroad.
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