The University of Memphis confirmed on Monday that the Ghana Scholarships Secretariat owes the university unpaid fees for student enrollment, tuition, and other related costs, lending credence to reports from African media outlets which claim the total sum being withheld by the foreign nation exceeds $3 million.
Reports from Ghana surfaced on Sunday claiming that the nation owes the University of Memphis $3.2 million, with Ghana Web reporting the nation paid just $400,000 toward a $3.6 million commitment it signed with the university.
The University of Memphis shared a statement with The Tennessee Star on Monday that confirmed it entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Republic of Ghana and the Ghana Scholarships Program in 2023, which was “designed to cover tuition and fees for Ghanaian students studying abroad.”
According to the statement, the 185 Ghanaian students enrolled at the university, “have proven to be the best and the brightest with an average GPA of 3.75,” but the country has nonetheless “failed to fully meet its financial obligations.”
Due to the outstanding student fees, the university confirmed, “these students face academic dismissal, visa complications, and loss of housing and support, through no fault of their own if GSS does not fully meet all financial obligations.” The university added that it is working with the students to pursue “all avenues to help them resolve their debt.”
The Ghana Scholarships Secretariat did not respond to a comment request from The Star about the unpaid fees prior to press time, while the U.S. State Department confirmed it was aware of the situation.
Despite the university’s confirmation of a MOU with the Ghana Scholarships Secretariat, the foreign government agency does not list the United States as a destination for studying abroad on its website, which instead lists Russia, China, Morocco, Algeria, Hungary, and the German Government Doctoral Programme as possible destinations.
The uncertainty for the foreign students comes following the Trump administration’s efforts to revoke student visas over alleged criminal offenses and anti-Israel, pro-terrorist advocacy, with the number of visas revoked reportedly exceeding 1,100 in April.
Notably, the alleged failure to uphold its commitment to the University of Memphis comes as Ghana experiences a gold rush, with the nation’s extraction of the precious metal increasing by 8.5 percent last year. This, in turn, allowed the Bank of Ghana’s gold reserves to grow by 56 percent in 2024.
Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) confirmed at the time that the legal status of four students had been changed by the Trump administration, though the students were later given permission to remain in the country for their education.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “The Parliament House of Ghana” by the Parliament House of Ghana.
Time to stop catering to foreign students.