Ghanaian students studying on government scholarships at the University of Memphis in the United States say they risk being dismissed from the institution over the government’s failure to settle their tuition and accommodation fees.
The affected students say the situation has persisted for about three months, with no concrete communication from the authorities responsible for managing their scholarships.
Speaking on Adom FM’s morning show, Dwaso Nsem, one of the beneficiaries, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said repeated attempts to get answers from the authorities had yielded no positive results.
“We have not gotten any concrete communication. When we ask them, they tell us they want this, and we communicate it to the school, but the school keeps giving us excuses,” he said.
According to him, the students have repeatedly contacted the relevant authorities but have been left without clear information on when the issue will be resolved.
“There is nothing that the authorities tell us to do. When we call them, they keep giving us excuses. It has gone on for the past three months, and currently, it is worse,” he said.
He said the lack of communication had left the students uncertain about their academic future.
“They cannot talk to the school, and we, the beneficiaries, are not being told anything positive about whether they will be able to solve the issue,” he added.
The beneficiary said the students had also reached out to Ghana’s diplomatic representatives in the United States in an attempt to find a solution.
“We have contacted the embassy in the US. We have written emails and sent them everything. We have done everything diplomatic within our power to get their attention, but we have had no response,” he said.
Students lose access to academic services
The outstanding fees have reportedly affected the students’ access to key university services.
According to the beneficiary, some students can no longer access their university portals or attend lectures.
“We have no access to lectures. We can’t go to lectures, we can’t open our portals, and we can’t do anything. As it stands right now, we are not students,” he said.
He explained that the affected beneficiaries are international students studying under the F-1 visa category.
He said about 120 beneficiaries are currently active, although the number was previously around 200 before some students completed their programmes.
“Currently, we are about 120 active beneficiaries. Earlier, we were about 200, but some have finished their programmes,” he said.
He added that some students had become so worried about the situation that they had left, although their colleagues were unsure of their whereabouts.
“Some of them are even scared and have left, and we don’t know where they are,” he said.
Man accuses Ridge Hospital of medical negligence as 31-year-old wife dies after C-section
No politician can beat Bawumia in 2028 if… – Miracles Aboagye
