Ghanaian students studying in the USA, Canada, Barbados, Grenada, and the Dominican Republic face severe financial hardships due to a significant delay in receiving their government stipends, compelling them to engage in extreme activities.
According to Lius Laud Apprey, PhD student, at the University of Kent, the distress has led some female students to engage in unwanted intimate relationships to secure money, while male students have resorted to selling sperm to make ends meet.
In an interview on TV3, he noted that the sperms are sold for £150-£250 depending on their weight and quality.
Per a letter addressed to President Akufo-Addo on September 9, the aggrieved students highlighted the dire situations they are enduring as a result of these delays.
The letter reveals that many students have not received their stipends for up to 18 months, and some have been without financial support for over two years. This prolonged lack of payment has left numerous students in precarious positions.
The students reported that the financial difficulties have led to serious consequences, including evictions from hostels and apartments, and in some cases, cancellation of their visa statuses.
Male students sell their sperms to survive.
They make £150-£250 depending on the weight and quality – Lius Laud Apprey, PhD Student, University of Kent#GhanaTonight#3NewsGH
Meanwhile, a group of Ghanaian students studying at the University of Birmingham, UK, are facing deportation after theirstudent visaswere revoked.
According to a statement from the UK Visas and Immigration, this visa cancellation is due to the students’ failure to pay their tuition fees.
The majority of these students are on the Government of Ghana Scholarship Scheme, but due to the government’s delay in sending the necessary funds, they have been unable to meet their financial obligations.
A letter from the UK Visa and Immigration Office sent to the affected students outlined their limited options: either leave the country voluntarily or face legal consequences, including possible detention and prosecution. The students now face the threat of deportation if no resolution is found soon.
The Minority Caucus in Parliament has criticized the government’s delays in releasing funds for the payment of stipends for Ghanaian students on scholarships abroad, describing the situation as unreasonable.
On Friday, May 24, some Ghanaian students studying in Morocco under the Morocco Scholarship Programme staged a protest at the Ghana Embassy in Rabat.
They expressed frustration over the delays in the release of their stipends.
Speaking to Citi News, the Deputy Ranking Member on the Education Committee of Parliament, Dr. Clement Apaak, urged the government to act immediately to prevent the embarrassment of Ghanaian students demonstrating in other countries to demand their allowances.
“I remember not long ago, we had to contend with Ghanaian students in the UK. Before that, we had to contend with Ghanaian students across the whole of Europe, from Hungary to Holland to Norway to Sweden. When is this going to stop?
“When are we going to have a situation where our students abroad will not have to be reduced to puppets and beggars? When they do not have to come out and cry? Is this too difficult to do as a nation? A new NDC government, led by John Dramani Mahama, would address this issue of unreasonable, outrageous delays in remitting our students abroad.”
Meanwhile, Ghanaian students in Morroco say they have been subjected to hardship amid academic challenges and risk being evacuated from their abode.
The demonstrators, comprising undergraduate, masters, and PhD students, expressed grievances over the prolonged wait, which they claim has led to emotional distress, academic challenges, and increased risks.
The students are calling on the government, the Ministry of Finance, and the Scholarship Secretariat to accelerate the process and ensure timely disbursement of their stipends, thus averting any further delays.
“The question is how do we survive? Our landlords are chasing us out of our apartments, some of us are sleeping with our friends, some of us are sleeping outside.
“Imagine sending your daughter to another country to come and study for 10 months without sending her money to pay her rent, how do you want her to survive?
There are people here in debt, and some are depressed. The last time, we had someone almost commit suicide.
“This is not noise. This is not a story or a narrative, this is what we are going through.
Our lives are in danger. We are begging you Mr. President, if you don’t intervene, there will be blood on your hands,” one of the students lamented.
In 2019, as per a report from The Fourth Estate, the Scholarships Secretariat provided a spousal allowance exceeding £6,000 to the wife of a scholarship recipient.
Desmond Asare, pursuing a Master’s programme at Birmingham City University, received £25,480 (equivalent to GHS 430,612) for tuition and stipend.
Meanwhile, Mr. Asare’s wife received a staggering spousal allowance of GHS 103,428, a revelation uncovered from data released by the Scholarships Secretariat to The Fourth Estate.
Further scrutiny revealed questionable sponsorship decisions, such as funding a student for Luxury and Fashion Management, a field with no recognized businesses in Ghana.
A former Ashesi University graduate, Chelsea Naa Arday, received €20,000 to pursue an MSc. in Luxury and Fashion Management at Paris Business School in France, highlighting questionable allocation practices.
The data disclosed a total expenditure of GHS 437.5 million by the Scholarships Secretariat over 2019 and 2020, encompassing both local and foreign scholarships.
This transparency followed a Right to Information Commission directive, emphasizing the public nature of scholarship funds.
However, analysis unveiled deviations from the secretariat’s mission to support deserving but underprivileged students and Ghanaian workers at minimal cost.
Moreover, concerns arose over awarding scholarships for courses readily available in local universities and colleges, including instances where politically connected individuals or elites’ relatives received multiple scholarships.
Such discrepancies underscore the urgency for stricter oversight and adherence to the secretariat’s mandate to ensure equitable access to educational opportunities for all deserving Ghanaians.
In 2012, Mercy Ablakwa, the younger sister of Deputy Minister of Information Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, was arrested in the United States of America (USA) for forgery.
Mercy, who was 22-years-old at the time, faced criminal prosecution. Documents available to the Daily Guide newspaper indicated that Mercy, a student of Charleston University in West Virginia, was arrested on October 7, 2011, in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, and was subsequently charged with the offense of Forgery-Uttering under section 943.38 of the statutes of the State of Wisconsin.
A criminal case was filed against Mercy in court on October 9, 2011, two days after her arrest, where the charge of forgery-uttering was preferred against her.
Daily Guide gathered that the charge of forgery-uttering is classified as a felony under the laws of Wisconsin and that a guilty verdict could have seen Mercy receiving a fine of up to $10,000 or an imprisonment of up to 6 years or both.
Checks by the paper also established that Mercy Ablakwa got admission into Charleston University in West Virginia in the immediate aftermath of the assumption of office of the Mills/Mahama-led NDC administration and was still a student in the University at the time of her arrest.
Mercy, who turned 23 that year, had the same mother as the Deputy Minister but the two had different fathers. Attempts to reach Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwa for his comments proved unsuccessful since he failed to answer his phone, sources said he was well aware of his sister’s arrest as he was put in the know hours after she was busted.
North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
He was said to have expressed concern that it may dent his image as a government official, especially considering the fact that he was contesting the North Tongu constituency primaries of the NDC. Sources around the Ministry of Information and friends of the Deputy Minister indicated that Mr. Ablakwa was conscious of the fact that this case could be a huge arsenal for his opponents in the race, including the sitting Member of Parliament, Charles Hodogbey, who had been fighting him for the party’s parliamentary ticket for the area.
It was alleged that since traveling to the United States, Mercy Ablakwa had maintained a close relationship with her brother, the Deputy Minister, who was said to have facilitated the trip. Daily Guide’s sources in Wisconsin said top lawyers in the state were defending the sister of the deputy minister.
Mercy was scheduled to reappear in court on February 1, 2012.
In 2010, Mercy Ablakwa, the younger sister of Okudzeto Ablakwa was given a total of $33,400 scholarship to pursue BSc Nursing at University of Charleston in the US.
She was arrested on October 7, 2011 in Wisconsin-US, and was subsequently charged for the offence of Forgery.
A senior reporter at The Fourth Estate, Seth Bokpe, has revealed that approximately 104 beneficiaries of the Scholarship Secretariat who studied abroad have not yet returned to Ghana.
This disclosure comes after an investigation into the operations of the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat by the media outlet.
During an appearance on Newsfile on JoyNews, Bokpe emphasized that these beneficiaries had signed agreements with the Secretariat, committing to return to Ghana upon completing their programs.
“Majority of these courses we spend money on outside are in Ghanaian universities. We also found that at least 104 beneficiaries are yet to return to Ghana although they have signed bonds to do so.”
“At least three of these beneficiaries have been living abroad in the last five years, and it will be interesting to find out how they even signed their bonds before being given the scholarship,” Mr Bokpe added.
A recent investigation by The Fourth Estate exposed discrepancies in the distribution of scholarships by the Scholarship Secretariat. The probe revealed instances where scholarships were granted to individuals from affluent backgrounds, contrary to the mandate of providing aid to deserving but underprivileged students.
Notable beneficiaries highlighted in the investigation include the daughters of prominent figures such as Ghanaian lawyer and politician Freddie Blay and former Inspector General of Police David Asante-Apeatu. These findings suggest a departure from the Secretariat’s intended focus on supporting financially disadvantaged yet academically gifted students.
Furthermore, the report uncovered cases where some recipients received multiple scholarships, while others struggled to receive their stipends from the government, if they were awarded scholarships at all.
Speaking on these revelations, Seth Bokpe stated that approximately 30 individuals, including politicians, their relatives, diplomats, and individuals linked to social elites, were identified as scholarship recipients. He also highlighted the absence of clear selection guidelines beyond basic criteria such as Ghanaian nationality and possessing a university degree.
“Contrary to the claims that the award has been decentralised to the extent that if you go to the district level you will get a scholarship, there is no evidence that those who went abroad were actually awarded at the district level,” Mr Bokpe said.
He added “The registrar told us that because of the courses involved, they do not award the foreign scholarships at the local level, so you have to apply in Accra. Now how do you apply in Accra if there is no call for application? There is no publication of even the list of beneficiaries to make the process transparent.”
During their investigation, Mr. Bokpe mentioned that an interview with Dr. Clement Apaak revealed that the Scholarship Secretariat cannot be held accountable as it falls under the Office of the President.
“When you hear the number of allegations that come against the Secretariat including people saying they paid so much to get it but then you have a situation where they are virtually shielded, it becomes problematic,” he said.
A former beauty queen, Giusepina Baafi, is on a list of scholarship beneficiaries obtained by the Fourth Estate in response to a Right to Information request. Miss Baafi, who won the Miss Ghana pageant in 2013, was given € 18,500 as stipend to study for her Master’s at the Schellhammer Business School in Spain.
She got the award six years after she won the coveted crown which would later be a subject of controversy, leading to her resignation.
Also on the list are Sidney Osei-Owusu, Kieve Kuuku Kittoe and Abednego Mathias Bonir. They received multiple scholarships.
Sidney Osei-Owusu received £28,330 in 2019 to cover his living expenses and tuition for an MSc degree in Management at the Brunel University in London. In 2020, the secretariat again paid GBP15,750 for his MBA at the University of the West of England.
For Kieve Kuuku Kittoe, he got US$ 38,475 for an MA in Design Management at Savanna College in the United States in 2019. The following year, Mr Kittoe also received GBP14,500 for an MA in Visual Communication at the University of Derby in the United Kingdom.
Mathias Abednego Bonir received a total of 81,948.46 Canadian dollars (CAD) — the equivalent of GHS807,192 (based on today’s exchange rate of GHS9.85) for a post-graduate certificate in Project Management in 2019, as well as Human Resource Management in 2020. He attended the Georgian College in Canada.
The Secretariat spent CAD16,441.13 on his tuition in 2019 and CAD17,507.33 in 2020. He received CAD2,000 as stipend monthly in the course of his studies.
His stipend alone amounted to GHS19,700.00 monthly. This amount is more than sufficient to cover the full tuition (GHS17,696) for a Master of Science in Project Management at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA).
Mr Bonir’s stipend could almost have covered the total fees (GHS20,423) for a Master of Science in Project Management at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
His total fees and stipend for the two programmes he pursued would have been adequate to cover the fees of 45 MSc Project Management students at UPSA and 39 at KNUST.
Apart from these beneficiaries The Fourth Estate’s investigations revealed the funnelling of scholarship funds to influential people, as well as children, relatives and associates of powerful figures at the expense of the brilliant but underprivileged.
The Fourth Estate conducted an analysis of the data specifically focusing on scholarships funded by the government of Ghana. This analysis included a breakdown of the expenditures on scholarship recipients in various countries, details of the programmes pursued by the beneficiaries and their backgrounds.
From our analysis, in 2019-2020, the Scholarship Secretariat spent at least 291,480 pounds sterling (GBP), 146,502 US dollars (USD) and 7,685 Canadian dollars (CAD) respectively on influential individuals and the associates of the political elite.
According to the Secretariat, it disbursed GHS237.5 million in 2019 and GHS200 million in 2020.
In the last few days, The Fourth Estate has been publishing series of reports highlighting some grave anomalies in Ghana’s scholarships system where, for example, a good chunk of available funding had gone to people connected to the political and social elite.
The Fourth Estate provides below the second part of the list of government of Ghana scholarships beneficiaries for the years 2019 and 2020:
The Fourth Estate, a private media organization, has announced its intention to publish the full list of scholarship recipients from 2019 and 2020, as revealed by their investigative report.
The investigation by The Fourth Estate uncovered that scholarships were awarded to influential individuals, as well as children, relatives, and associates of powerful figures.
This was contrary to the Scholarship Secretariat’s primary purpose of providing scholarships to academically gifted but financially needy students, both locally and internationally.
Initially denied access to the beneficiary list by the Scholarship Secretariat in March 2021, The Fourth Estate persisted and invoked the Right to Information (RTI) Commission.
The RTI Commission ruled in favor of disclosure, stating that since the scholarships were funded with public money, transparency was crucial. However, personal information will be redacted before the data is released.
The Scholarship Secretariat’s response to the RTI request revealed that it had spent GHS237.5 million and GHS200 million in 2019 and 2020, respectively, covering both foreign and local scholarships.
Speaking to the host of the Citi Breakfast Show, Bernard Avle on Citi FM, Seth Kwame Bokpe, a journalist with the Fourth Estate said “There are a little of over 900 people who benefitted from the secretariat and we will be publishing the full list soon and be making the value-for-money analysis.”
Several known members and activists of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) were among those who benefited from the scholarships, including a special assistant to the Second Lady, Samira Bawumia.
The special assistant received GBP17,355 for a university program in the United Kingdom but did not physically attend the campus. Instead, the individual dropped out after attending only a few online classes from Ghana.
Additionally, there were instances of multiple scholarships. Approximately 26 individuals received multiple scholarships, enabling them to pursue different programs either in two consecutive years or different programs within a single year.
Deputy National Youth Organizer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Osman Ayariga, has called on the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to investigate Dr. Kingsley Agyemang following the recent scandal involving the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat he heads.
Mr Ayariga’s call for an investigation comes after reports from the Fourth Estate exposed alleged misconduct within the Secretariat under its current leadership.
He has formally petitioned the OSP to thoroughly examine the activities of the Registrar and other staff members regarding the allocation of scholarships. The petition, submitted on Tuesday, April 9, emphasizes the urgent need for this investigation.
Ayariga stressed the importance of ensuring that scholarships are distributed fairly to deserving Ghanaian students, rather than being unfairly allocated based on political connections or wealth.
He urged the OSP to proceed promptly with the investigation to prevent any further misuse of resources within the Scholarship Secretariat.
“It has become necessary to petition your office due to the despicable magnitude of abuse the Scholarship secretariat under the current leadership has exhibited.”
“I am therefore by this petition calling for a full-scale investigation into the activities of the Registrar and associated staff of the secretariat regarding the award of scholarships.”
He emphasised the need for the OSP to swiftly conduct this investigation without delay to prevent any further misappropriation of resources.
“I wish to state that these matters ought to be investigated as a matter of urgency to forestall any future misappropriation of our resources.”
“I, hereby, request that the Registrar be subjected to investigations and be made to step aside pending the outcome of the investigations to prevent interference with the investigative process,” he added.
His demand follows a recent exposé by the Fourth Estate, which revealed disparities in the allocation of scholarships, favouring affluent individuals with connections.
In response to the scandalous expose by the Fourth Estate regarding the arbitrary and biased awarding of scholarships by the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat, the Minority in Parliament is demanding the immediate suspension of Dr. Kingsley Agyemang.
The NDC MPs asserted that the investigation findings corroborated by concerned Ghanaians, both domestically and internationally, warrant decisive action.
They contend that such practices are unfair to deserving Ghanaian students who depend on the Secretariat for assistance.
Meanwhile, Dr. Kingsley Agyemang, the Registrar of the Scholarship Secretariat, has underscored the immediate requirement for legislation to govern scholarship distribution.
Dr. Agyemang highlighted the challenges officials face in determining eligibility due to the lack of clear legislative guidelines defining criteria for identifying needy individuals.
He emphasised the importance of scholarship legislation to establish transparent eligibility standards and eliminate ambiguity in the allocation process.
The Minority in Parliament is calling for the swift removal of the Registrar of the Scholarship Secretariat following an investigative report by the Fourth Estate.
The report alleges that scholarships, meant for deserving students, were granted based on political connections and inappropriate criteria.
According to the investigation, individuals affiliated with the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) received preferential treatment in scholarship awards.
One NPP official reportedly received multiple scholarships totaling £57,210 for postgraduate studies, while a Special Assistant to the Vice President’s spouse allegedly obtained £17,355 for a UK program they never attended.
In response, the Minority MPs demand the immediate resignation of Kingsley Agyemeng, the Registrar of the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat, and urge the Office of the Special Prosecutor to investigate the Secretariat’s operations.
The Minority emphasized that these findings are supported by testimonies from Ghanaians at home and abroad.
“The series of investigations by the Fourth Estate have since been corroborated by other patriotic Ghanaians, both home and abroad. Many have cited instances of extortion, bribery and collection of kickbacks allegedly involving the Registrar of the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat, Kingsley Agyemang, and other officials.
They call on President Akufo-Addo to take decisive action to safeguard public funds from further abuse, including the immediate suspension of Kingsley Agyemang and a forensic audit of all scholarships awarded since January 2017.
“Other first-hand chilling accounts of our compatriots who have reached out to the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat for help, reveal wanton corruption and gross abuse of office by these officials of the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP government,” part of the statement read.
“Widespread reports of multiple scholarships worth several thousands of dollars, sometimes awarded to the same individuals in the same year, reveal the extent of abuse of the taxpayers’ money. Worst of all, it has been reported that these awards are sometimes handed to NPP-aligned persons for two-week training programmes abroad, in return for some kickback.
“In light of the above revelations and others which will be contained in details of the over 900 foreign scholarships awarded between 2019 and 2020, yet to be published by the Fourth Estate, the NDC Minority Caucus in Parliament hereby demands the following urgent actions:
The immediate interdiction of the Registrar of the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat, Kingsley Agyemang, pending investigations into its operations.
The Special Prosecutor must order an immediate forensic audit of all scholarships awarded since January 2017. We call on President Akufo-Addo to act swiftly in this matter in order to protect
The Deputy Director of the National Service Secretariat (NSS), Gifty Oware-Mensah, in a recent development, has deactivated her social media accounts following her implication in a scholarship scandal exposed by investigative journalist Manasseh Azure’s The Fourth Estate.
Oware-Mensah was identified among affluent individuals allegedly benefiting from scholarships intended for academically gifted but financially disadvantaged Ghanaians.
Reports indicate that she secured a government scholarship worth GBP18,450 to pursue an MSc in Development Policy and Politics at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom in 2020. This scholarship was allegedly obtained three years into her tenure at the Secretariat.
When approached for comment on January 19, 2024, Oware-Mensah initially denied any knowledge of the scholarship, stating, “From 2019, my name has been Gifty Oware-Mensah. Let me call Kingsley [Agyemang] and get back. I don’t know what you’re talking about. Let me speak to them and get back to you.”
Despite promises to follow up, subsequent attempts to reach her proved futile.
Aside from her role at the NSS, Oware-Mensah is also known for owning Berry Ladies FC, formerly Halifax Ladies FC, a team competing in Ghana’s women’s premier league.
Meanwhile, the 2023/24 NSS personnel have demanded the government to settle their outstanding allowance arrears, as they claim not to have received payment for the past two months.
Oware-Mensah’s decision to deactivate her social media accounts, particularly her ‘X’ account where she is usually active, has sparked speculation among users. Some believe that she took this action due to potential backlash following The Fourth Estate’s expose. However, her Instagram account remains accessible to the public.
National Film Authority, Juliet Asante’s daughter, Zina Asante, secured admission to Emmanuel College in the United States in 2018 for a pre-medicine program at a cost of USD41,026.
The school touted the course as a stepping stone into the medical field.
Zina wasn’t the sole recipient of a government scholarship for pre-med studies. Nine others, including Araba Twumasi Mensah, daughter of former MP Joe Mensah, also received funding for the same program.
Miss Mensah pursued her pre-med studies at the University of Oklahoma from 2019 to 2023, benefiting from USD36,675 in scholarships annually.
The influence of prominent figures can open doors for their children, as seen in the case of Adom Effah-Dartey, son of Captain Nkrabeah Effah-Dartey, a prominent NPP member and former MP.
In 2019, Adom received a scholarship to pursue a Bachelor of Law degree at the University of Hertfordshire in the UK, with the Scholarship Secretariat covering GBP19,130 for the course.
Zina Asante, daughter of actress and CEO of the National Film Authority,Juliet Asante, secured a place at Emmanuel College in the United States of America for a pre-medicine programme,costing USD41,026
A Special Aide to the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Joyce Bawah Mogtari, has underscored the importance of preserving government-sponsored scholarships for those truly in need.
During an interview on JoyNews AM Show on Thursday, April 4, she urged politicians and financially capable individuals to refrain from seeking state scholarships for their children’s education.
Bawah Mogtari emphasized that these scholarships are meant for those genuinely in need of financial assistance. She stated that diverting them to well-off individuals tarnishes the integrity of the Scholarship Secretariat.
The former Deputy Transport Minister warned that failing to adhere to this principle would result in undue hardship for deserving but disadvantaged students.
“It is for very good reason the scholarship secretariat was created. It’s for those who are brilliant but cannot afford but it is sad that persons who are doing well and can fund their ward’s education are now taking over. My advice to them is that they should leave it for those who need it.”
Her remarks come in the wake of a recent expose by the Fourth Estate, alleging that scholarships are unfairly awarded to well-connected affluent individuals in the country.
Meanwhile, Dr. Kingsley Agyemang, the registrar of the Scholarship Secretariat, has called for the prompt enactment of legislation to regulate the allocation of scholarships.
Dr. Agyemang emphasized the current challenges faced by officials in determining eligibility, citing the lack of clear legislative guidelines defining the criteria for needy individuals.
He underscored the importance of scholarship legislation to clarify eligibility standards and remove any ambiguity in the distribution process.
“I think a scholarship legislation is so eminent and that will set out everything that we need to do or how the funds need to be managed.”
“It’s been managed over the years by the dexterity of leaders. What I think is so important – so in conjunction with maybe National Development Planning Commission and DPC to really identify priority areas that as Ghanaians, we need to.”
A recent exposé by The Fourth Estate, spearheaded by investigative journalist Manasseh Azure on the awarding of scholarships has revealed how a financial loss to the state worth over £17,000 occurred during the peak of COVID-19.
The investigation has unveiled the identities of affluent individuals who allegedly obtained scholarships meant for academically gifted but financially disadvantaged Ghanaians.
Per reports, one Fawzy Ramadan, a relative and personal assistant to Second Lady, Samira Bawumia, was awarded GBP17,355 to cover the cost of tuition at Brunel University in the UK.
Fawzy was to study MSc in Global Supply Chain Management. However, Fawzy, per The Fourth Estate never pursued the course.
It is reported that “he claimed he was involved in an accident during the peak of COVID-19 and could not defer the course.”
“Neither he nor the state benefitted in any way from the tuition fee paid to the Brunel University on his behalf,” the Fourth Estate further reported.
It is reported that the school later wrote to him demanding the cost of accommodation from him for not stepping foot on the university’s campus.
The Deputy Director of the National Service Secretariat (NSS), Gifty Oware-Mensah, has been implicated in a recent exposé by The Fourth Estate, spearheaded by investigative journalist Manasseh Azure.
The investigation has unveiled the identities of affluent individuals who allegedly obtained scholarships meant for academically gifted but financially disadvantaged Ghanaians.
Per reports, Gifty who has denied receiving any scholarship, “obtained a government scholarship of GBP18,450 (GBP means Great British Pound) to study at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom in 2020 to pursue an MSc in Development Policy and Politics.”
It is said that she received the scholarship three years after she started working for the Secretariat.
According to the Fourth Estate, they reached out to her on January 19, 2024, and her response was “From 2019, my name has been Gifty Oware-Mensah. Let me call Kingsley [Agyemang] and get back. I don’t know what you’re talking about. Let me speak to them and get back to you.”
The Fourth Estate further reported that “She later sent a text message that she was driving to Sunyani and would revert. Subsequent calls to her did not yield result.”
Madam Gifty is said to own Berry Ladies FC, a female football formerly known as Halifax Ladies FC, which is currently playing in Ghana’s women premier league.
In other matters, the 2023/24 NSS personnel are calling on the government to settle the allowance arrears owed them. Per reports, government has not payed personnel for the previous two months.
An exposé by The Fourth Estate has detailed how brilliant but needy Ghanaians are denied scholarships due to a list of favoured individuals coming from government officials.
In a recent report dubbed “Scholarships bonanza: The powerful grab as double scholarships flow”, Franklina Mensah (not her real name) who obtained an undergraduate degree with First-Class honours, is said to be a victim of the “protocol” system.
Franklina is said to have submitted her application to the government-run Scholarship Secretariat, seeking funding for a master’s degree programme in the United Kingdom (UK).
“If the scholarship was going to be awarded on merit, she felt she stood a very good chance. Her sense of optimism soared higher when she received plaudits from the interview panel, who were full of praise for her excellent proposal and academic credentials,” The Fourth Estate reported.
Sources say she heard no update from the Scholarship Secretariat weeks after her interview, prompting an “anxious” Franklina to reach out.
At the offices of the Scholarship Secretariat, Franklina is said to have met an official whose name she couldn’t recall.
“I mentioned my name, and he said, ‘Your name was on the list but there is so much protocol they had to take people out.’”
The official claimed requests come from highly influential offices including that of the President, Parliament and ministers “for this same scholarship.”
“You should understand that people will have to go off the list,” official is said to have told Frankina.
In other words, she had been shortlisted for the scholarship but a protocol list from some higher office or authority had forced her name to be taken off the shortlist.
Testament to her perseverance and the quality of her graduate proposal, Franklina obtained a different scholarship which enabled her to pursue her studies that same year – and in the UK as planned.
Registrar of the Scholarship Secretariat, Dr. Kingsley Agyemang, has called for swift legislation to streamline the distribution of scholarships in the country.
He highlighted that the current challenges faced by officers in making decisions are due to the absence of clear legislation defining who qualifies as a needy individual for the scholarships.
Dr. Agyemang’s statement was made in response to a recent publication by the Fourth Estate, which alleged that scholarships are unfairly distributed to well-connected affluent individuals in the country.
He emphasized the necessity of scholarship legislation to dispel any misconceptions about eligibility criteria.
“I think a scholarship legislation is so eminent and that will set out everything that we need to do or how the funds need to be managed.
“It’s been managed over the years by the dexterity of leaders. What I think is so important – so in conjunction with maybe National Development Planning Commission and DPC to really identify priority areas that as Ghanaians, we need to.”
He questioned whether those referred to as middle-income earners, such as public sector workers, are middle-income earners in line with best practices or economic conditions.
The registrar of the Scholarship Secretariat emphasised that even civil servants fall within the category of people who genuinely need scholarship support, saying “Every Ghanaian except the high earners is a needy person.”
Dr Dennis Addo is by all indications an accomplished man. He is the founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Claron Hospital and co-founder of Bisa, an international award-winning health app.
His hospital, located on a quiet street in the affluent Airport Residential area in Accra, caters for some of the country’s elite with deep pockets.
He is apparently so good at what he does that he was appointed to the board of the National Health Insurance Authority from 2017-2020.Dr Addo, by all indications, is not a poor man.
He is not a man in need and he’s certainly not someone who is so desperate to further his education to boost his life chances.Yet, when he decided to pursue a degree in Public Administration in Harvard University, it was the Ghana government, through its Scholarship Secretariat, that paid USD50,031 for his tuition and living expenses in the United States in 2019.
That money came from a fund meant to help needy, underprivileged Ghanaian students to further their education. But for his political connections and social privileges, it is hard to imagine how a man with Dr Addo’s credentials, not to mention wealth, could be classified as needy and eligible to access a government scholarship to the tune of USD50,031.
Dr Addo describes himself as a pioneer member of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) students’ wing, TESCON. He recently contested in the NPP’s parliamentary primary at Atwima Nwabiagya South in the Ashanti Region but lost.In addition to the government scholarship, Dr Addo was also awarded the Cheng Fellowship at Harvard in the course of his studies.
He did not respond to our email asking for comments.While there is no explicit information on the financial benefits of Cheng Fellowship, Harvard University’s policy on fellows renumerations stipulates that “generally between $55,000 and $70,000” is paid “per year depending on experience and the nature of each Fellowship assignment.”
Dr Dennis Addo is the founder and CEO of the Claron Hospital in Accra. He received funding for his Masters in Public Administration in Harvard University
Dr Dennis Addo is the founder and CEO of the Claron Hospital in Accra. He received funding for his Masters in Public Administration in Harvard University
For his studies at Harvard, therefore, Dr Addo had two streams of financial support – one from the Scholarship Secretariat and the other from Harvard University.
He was there for two years.The Fourth Estate has found that Dr Addo is one of many politically-connected and social elites who have been competing with some of the country’s poor but brilliant students for funding from the Scholarship Secretariat.
We could not reach him for a response. Easy funding for the politically-connected, frustration for the needy Many ordinary Ghanaians who apply for assistance from the Scholarship Secretariat have told us that they face a monumental hurdle in the shape of protocol lists that make it next to impossible for them to receive the support they need.
They had to compete with politicians, their relatives and associates, as well as socialites and diplomats. After receiving numerous complaints from scholarship applicants, The Fourth Estate asked in March 2021 for data from the Scholarship Secretariat on those who have been awarded scholarships in 2019 and 2020.
The secretariat initially refused to grant the request, claiming the data was confidential. But the Right to Information (RTI) Commission ordered that personal information should be redacted and the data released.
The Commission based its ruling on the premise that the scholarships were funded with public money.
The Scholarship Secretariat’s response to the RTI request showed that it had spent GHS237.5 million and GHS200 million in 2019 and 2020, respectively, covering both foreign and local scholarships.
The Scholarship Secretariat, an agency under the Office of the President, was established in 1960 with the primary purpose of providing local and foreign scholarships to academically gifted but financially needy students.
Following the country’s liberation from colonial rule, the Nkrumah administration set up scholarship programmes as a means to incentivise and attract top talents to bolster the nation’s workforce by assisting citizens who lacked the financial means to fund their education.
In recent years, however, the secretariat has faced criticism for allegedly perpetuating patronage, often overlooking deserving applicants in favour of those with political and high society connections.
A major source of funding for the Scholarship Secretariat is GETFund. Section 2.2(b) of the GETFund Act requires the Scholarship Secretariat to allocate funds to support “gifted but needy students for studies in second cycle and accredited tertiary institutions in Ghana.”
In 2019-2020, the Scholarship Secretariat spent at least 291,480 pounds sterling (GBP), 146,502 US dollars (USD) and 7,685 Canadian dollars (CAD) on 20 influential individuals and the associates of the political elite.
The NSS Deputy Director, Gifty Oware-Mensah (nee Oware-Aboagye)
For example, Gifty Oware-Mensah (née Oware-Aboagye), obtained a government scholarship of GBP18,450 to study at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom in 2020 to pursue an MSc in Development Policy and Politics.
She was awarded the scholarship three years after she started working for the National Service Secretariat as Deputy Executive Director. In the same year, she acquired Berry Ladies FC, a female football formerly known as Halifax Ladies FC, currently playing in Ghana’s women premier league.
When The Fourth Estate reached out to her on January 19, 2024, she denied receiving any scholarship.“From 2019, my name has been Gifty Oware-Mensah. Let me call Kingsley [Agyemang] and get back. I don’t know what you’re talking about.
Let me speak to them and get back to you.”She later sent a text message that she was driving to Sunyani and would revert. Subsequent calls to her did not yield result.Fawzy Ramadan, a relative and personal assistant to Second Lady, Samira Bawumia, was awarded GBP17,355 to cover the cost of tuition for an MSc in Global Supply Chain Management at Brunel University in the UK.
However, Mr Ramadan never pursued the course because he claimed he was involved in an accident during the peak of COVID-19 and could not defer the course.
Neither he nor the state benefitted in any way from the tuition fee paid to the Brunel University on his behalf. He said the school later wrote to him demanding the cost of accommodation from him when he had not stepped a foot on the university’s campus.
Michael Ofori-Atta Jr is a relative of the former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta (right).Then there is Michael Ofori-Atta Jr. The weight of political connections appears to have heavily favoured him, being a relative of President Nana Akufo-Addo and former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.
In 2020, the Scholarship Secretariat paid the University of Birmingham GBP16,740 for Michael to enroll in a programme called the Foundation Pathways – Social Sciences, Business and Law.
Michael Ofori-Atta Jr is a relative of the former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta (right).
The university describes the course as a “pathway that will lead its students into a number of possible undergraduate degrees” within its College of Arts and Law or College of Social Sciences.We could not reach him for a response.No photo description available.
If social media posts extolling the virtues of the NPP and some of its big wigs count for anything, then they certainly did for Celestina Amoako Atta.
The NPP youth activist was granted a GBP27,980 scholarship to study for an MSc in Information Business Management and Digital Business at the Coventry University in the UK in 2019.
Ms Amoako Atta is currently an Assistant Administrative Officer at the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC).
When The Fourth Estate disclosed the reason for reaching out to her during a phone call, she claimed she could not hear anything being said. She did not respond to subsequent calls.
According to data provided by the Scholarship Secretariat, a leading member of the NPP, Nana Poku Frefre was awarded a GBP28,080 scholarship to study for an MSc in Strategic Studies and Energy Security at the University of Aberdeen, United Kingdom in 2019.
Mr Frefre, who is a founding member of the NPP branch in Scotland, told The Fourth Estate that although he got the Scholarship Secretariat award, he opted for a much better one from GETFund.
He is now the Head of New Media for the Ashanti Regional NPP Communication team and an aide to the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Bernard Antwi-Bosiako, alias Chairman Wontumi.
Kelvin Ofori Gyimah joined the league of state-sponsored students in the UK in 2020 for a Master of laws (LLM) degree in International Human Rights Law at Brunel University at a cost of GBP17,355.He is the current president of the NPP’s student wing (TESCON) in the UK.Mr Gyimah is yet to respond to our requests for comment.
Amenyo Kwame Akoto is a Special Assistant to the Member of Parliament for Mpohor, John A.A. Sanie. Mr Akoto received GBP17,355 for a Master’s programme in International Relations at the Brunel University in 2020. We could not reach him for comments.
If the curriculum vitae (CV) of Charles Asmah is anything to go by, then he was nowhere close to being a needy student when he received GBP28,380 for tuition and cost of living expenses during his studies for a Masters of Law degree in Legal Practice at the BPP University.
At the time he secured the scholarship, his online resume showed that he was working as a finance and tax consultant at WhitePoplar UK Limited, and a lecturer at the College of Haringey also in the UK.Mr Asmah is now a solicitor in the UK. Further checks showed that he has been living in the UK since 2008. He is also the NPP’s UK branch Treasurer.
He confirmed receiving the scholarship to The Fourth Estate. He, however, said he has been shuttling between the two countries. When The Fourth Estate asked if he was the Treasurer of the NPP in the UK, the line went mute, followed by shouts of “hello” from him, indicating he could not hear the question.Just like Mr Asmah, Christine Ofosu-Ampadu has an impeccable resume.
She is a private legal practitioner. She graduated with LLB and LLM degrees from the University of Kent in the United Kingdom and had a Bar Professional training education at Nottingham Trent University, also in the United Kingdom.
She was called to the bar in New York in 2020. She worked as a crown prosecutor in the UK. With all these credentials she still needed USD6,570 from the Scholarship Secretariat to intern at the International Criminal Court in the Netherlands in 2019.
Ms Ofosu-Ampadu confirmed in an email to The Fourth Estate that she received the funds for her internship.Another lawyer, Amma Frimpomaa Dwumah, received USD12,200 for a certificate in programme Implementing Public Policy at Harvard University in the United States in 2019. Ms Dwumah was appointed Managing Director of SIC Saving and Loans in July 2017.
Before that, she was a legal practitioner with Dery & Co, a law firm owned by the former Minister of Interior, Ambrose Dery. She is a former NPP Womens Organiser for Asunafo North Constituency.The Fourth Estate reached out to Amma Frimpomaa through her official email address but received no response.
Away from the legal gown, Raphael Patrick Sarfo is among the few who opted for professional development courses the state paid for. He received GBP5,995 for a course in Strategic Human Resource: Aligning with Corporate Vision.
The Ashanti Regional NPP Youth Organiser attended Crown Agents Training and Professional Development in the UK in 2019.When The Fourth Estate reached Mr Sarfo, he said thousands of people had benefited from similar scholarships and that he was not accountable to The Fourth Estate.Children of the political & social elite.
Asante familyFormer Inspector-General of Police, David Asante-Apeatu’s daughter, Nana Asabea Asante-Apeatu is one of the recipients.In 2018, Nana Adubea Asante-Apeatu was in Ashesi University, one of Ghana’s most prestigious private universities, offering Computer Science. Ashesi is a distant dream for many Ghanaian parents because of its high fees and reputation for excellence.
Former Inspector-General of Police, David Asante-Apeatu’s daughter, Nana Asabea Asante-Apeatu is one of the recipients
Many consider the university as the country’s version of an ivy league institution. The Computer Science programme at Ashesi cost GHS51,200 per semester now. But with a Ghana government scholarship, Nana Adubea, daughter of former Inspector-General of Police, David Asante-Apeatu, withdrew from Ashesi in 2019 and headed to the United Kingdom where she enrolled at the University of Aberdeen to study for a Bachelor of Law degree (with options in Computer Science).
In 2019 alone, the state paid GBP27,480 for her tuition and living expenses.Zina familyZina Asante (right) is the daughter of actress Juliet Asante who is now the CEO of the National Film AuthorityIn that same year, Zina Asante, daughter of actress and CEO of the National Film Authority, Juliet Asante, secured a place at Emmanuel College in the United States of America for a pre-medicine programme, costing USD41,026.
The school described the course as “a launching pad towards a remarkable journey into the field of medicine.”
Zina was not the only beneficiary awarded a government scholarship to pursue a pre-med course.
Zina Asante (right) is the daughter of actress Juliet Asante who is now the CEO of the National Film Authority
Nine others, including Araba Twumasi Mensah, the daughter of a former member of Parliament for Kwesimintim, Joe Mensah, also received funding for the same course. Miss Mensah took a pre-medicine course at the University of Oklahoma from 2019 to 2023.
She got the scholarship at a time her father was a legislator. In 2019 alone, she received USD36,675 to cover her tuition and living expenses.The reputation of a prominent politician and lawyer can effortlessly swing doors open for his children.
It probably did for Adom Effah-Dartey, son of Captain Nkrabeah Effah-Dartey, a leading member of the NPP, a former MP and a former deputy minister of Interior in the Kufuor administration. In 2019, Adom was awarded a scholarship to study for a Bachelor of Law degree programme at the University of Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom. The Scholarship Secretariat paid GBP19,130 for the course.
Lucie Blay Ekeleba is a practicing lawyer and a daughter of Freddie Blay, the board chairman of the Ghana National Petroleum Company (GNPC), a former First Deputy Speaker of Parliament and until recently, the Chairman of the ruling NPP.Her mother, Gina Blay, has been Ghana’s ambassador to Germany from 2017 to date. Her parents co-own the biggest private newspaper in Ghana—the Daily Guide.
She received GBP5,933 to pursue a course that would qualify her to practice law in England and Wales. These funds went to the City University of London (GBP2,283) and Kaplan University College (GBP 3,650) in 2020.Lucie Blay Ekeleba (middle) is a daughter of influential parents, Mr Freddie Blay, the Chairman of the Board of the GNPC and Ghana’s Ambassador to Germany, Gina BlayLucie Blay Ekeleba (middle) is a daughter of influential parents, Mr Freddie Blay, the Chairman of the Board of the GNPC and Ghana’s Ambassador to Germany, Gina BlayFlorence Akonor became Ghana’s High Commissioner to Malaysia in July 2022.
Before then, she had received GBP4,037 for a programme known as the Executive Leadership in Action run by Crown Agents Training and Professional Development in the United States in 2020.
She is a career diplomat who has served in positions including head of chancery at the Ghana High Commission in India, Minister Counsellor at the Ghana Embassy in Ethiopia, Minister at the Ghana High Commissions in Canada and South Africa.She confirmed that the Scholarship Secretariat sponsored the short course in the United States.
In the case of her peer in diplomacy, Mawutor N.K. Alifo, the state paid CAD7,685 for his Masters in Law programme at the University of Ottawa. Mr Alifo is a Foreign Service Officer who received the scholarship while in Canada.
A year later, he acted as Ghana’s High Commissioner to Canada being the highest-ranking foreign service officer after the exit of the then High Commissioner, Nii Ayikoi Otoo.Worthy investment?The Scholarship Secretariat also invested 20,000 euros in a former Ashesi University student, Chelsea Naa Arday, to get a Master of Science degree in Luxury and Fashion Management at the Paris School of Business in 2019-2020. The beneficiary’s CV is not one that shows she is from a needy background.
Another 44,180 euros was spent on Innocentia Manza Norku, a former Systems Administrator at the Controller and Accountant General to pursue a Master’s in Food and Beverage Management at the College of Paris in France.
Discrepancies in criteria and guidelines The GETFund Act, which makes funding available to the Scholarship Secretariat, explicitly stipulates that government scholarships are meant to support brilliant but needy Ghanaian students.
The Registrar of the Scholarship Secretariat, Dr Kingsley Agyemang, insists that this provision merely means that the primary criteria for receiving a scholarship are for the applicant to have a Ghanaian citizenship and an admission offer to a local or foreign university.
The award of the scholarship has nothing to do with need, he claims.While rejecting suggestions that scholarships are being wantonly awarded to those who are well-connected to the political and social elite, Dr Agyeman implied that recommendations from powerful persons and offices sometimes influence the award of scholarships.
While rejecting suggestions that scholarships are being wantonly awarded to those who are well-connected to the political and social elite, Dr Agyeman implied that recommendations from powerful persons and offices sometimes influence the award of scholarships.
I have journalists and the media making recommendations for people. I also do know that we have chiefs and the clergy making recommendations for people. I also do know that I have politicians on both sides also making recommendations for people they believe deserve an award,” he said.
“We live in a society where we are somehow connected in so many ways and it becomes difficult when we want to separate these little interactions.”Despite Mr Agyeman’s insistence on the existence of selection guidelines, the Scholarship Secretariat failed to provide any document with such guidelines to The Fourth Estate.
Repeated calls and Whatsapp messages requesting for the guidelines went unanswered.Dr Clement Apaak, the deputy minority spokesperson on education, insists that using any criteria other than “brilliant but needy” to award scholarships, defeats the purpose of setting up the Scholarship Secretariat.
Dr Apaak photo 2Dr Clement Apaak, MP for Builsa South“When we bring in exclusive groups as being conduits through which scholarships can be given, then we are subjecting the process to abuse,” he said.
Prof Peter Quartey, the Director of Institute of Statistical Social and Economic Research (ISSER), agreed with Dr Apaak and noted that relying on recommendations to assess need is not good enough.“
Dr Clement Apaak, MP for Builsa South
For the politically-exposed people, they are Ghanaians. They pay taxes. They should meet the minimum standards that are set and they should all be part of the process,” he said.“If we have an independent committee or board that assesses every application, they will all be given equal opportunity.
When politically-exposed persons want to apply, they can apply – except when there is influence and they are the ones who benefit most.”
ProfProf Peter Quartey, Director ISSER, University of GhanaDr Apaak, however, insists that influential or politically exposed persons and their close relatives should not be eligible to apply for government scholarships.
He asserted that it was not for nothing that tax laws are designed to positively discriminate in favour of the poor and added that the needy also deserve their fair share of opportunities offered by the state.He described the offering of scholarship to influential people, children of the affluent and their associates as a form of greed.
This, he said, has the tendency to widen the inequality gap between the rich and the poor in society.
“It is in their own interest not to continue to be greedy and selfish, where they can afford to educate their wards and yet they choose to let their wards benefit from scholarship that should be going to the wards of the less fortunate in society,” Dr Apaak said.
“Society ought to be designed in a way that [we] would always sacrifice collectively to bring up those who are down.”
Source: The Fourth Estate Ghana
DISCLAIMER: TIGPost.co will not be liable for any inaccuracies contained in this article. The views expressed in the article are solely those of the author’s, and do not reflect those of The Independent Ghana.
She was born to a farmer and a petty trader. Money was always hard to come by. However, her disadvantaged background was no hindrance to her quest for academic excellence. After obtaining an undergraduate degree with First-Class honours, Franklina Mensah (not her real name) knew better than to rest on her laurels.
The next step on her academic journey required funding she was well aware her parents could not afford. But with her stellar academic achievements, she was hopeful that support would not be difficult to come by. At least that was what Franklina thought when she submitted her application to the government-run Scholarship Secretariat, seeking funding for a master’s degree programme in the United Kingdom (UK).
If the scholarship was going to be awarded on merit, she felt she stood a very good chance. Her sense of optimism soared higher when she received plaudits from the interview panel, who were full of praise for her excellent proposal and academic credentials.
But optimism gradually fizzled into heartbreak.
Several weeks had gone by since the interview. She should be preparing to travel to the UK to start her new academic journey. But she hadn’t heard from the Scholarship Secretariat. She was getting anxious and the only way to ease her anxiety was to go to the Secretariat to find out what could be causing the delay. Maybe some clerical or administrative error was to blame. At the offices of the Scholarship Secretariat, Franklina met an official whose name she couldn’t recall. What ensued left her stunned.
“I mentioned my name, and he said, ‘Your name was on the list but there is so much protocol they had to take people out.’”
The official claimed requests come from highly influential offices including that of the President, Parliament and ministers “for this same scholarship.”
“You should understand that people will have to go off the list,” he told Frankina.
In other words, she had been shortlisted for the scholarship but a protocol list from some higher office or authority had forced her name to be taken off the shortlist.
“I was dumbfounded,” Franklina told The Fourth Estate.
As luck would have it, however, or perhaps as a testament to her perseverance and the quality of her graduate proposal, she obtained a different scholarship which enabled her to pursue her studies that same year – and in the UK as planned.
Franklina’s story is just an example of how what is supposed to be a merit-based scholarship scheme to help brilliant but needy Ghanaians achieve their academic dreams has gradually and cruelly been rigged in favour of those who are connected to the political elite.
Both Getfund and Ghana Scholarship Secretariat are not for the poor and needy rather for the rich and who you know inside there….You can apply everywhere for 5 good years and never be selected even with the necessary qualifications
After hearing numerous complaints from people like Franklina, The Fourth Estate asked in March 2021 for data from the Scholarship Secretariat on those who have been awarded scholarships in 2019 and 2020.
The secretariat initially refused to grant the request, claiming the data was confidential. But the Right to Information (RTI) Commission ordered that personal information should be redacted and the data released. The Commission based its ruling on the premise that the scholarships were funded with public money.
The Scholarship Secretariat’s response to the RTI request showed that it had spent GHS237.5 million and GHS200 million in 2019 and 2020, respectively, covering both foreign and local scholarships.
The Scholarship Secretariat, an agency under the Office of the President, was established in 1960 with the primary purpose of providing local and foreign scholarships to academically gifted but financially needy students. Following the country’s liberation from colonial rule, the Nkrumah administration set up scholarship programmes as a means to incentivise and attract top talents to bolster the nation’s workforce by assisting citizens who lacked the financial means to fund their education.
In recent years, however, the secretariat has faced criticism for allegedly perpetuating patronage, often overlooking deserving applicants in favour of those with political and high society connections.
A major source of funding for the Scholarship Secretariat is GETFund. Section 2.2(b) of the GETFund Act requires the Scholarship Secretariat to allocate funds to support “gifted but needy students for studies in second cycle and accredited tertiary institutions in Ghana.”
The Secretariat administers bilateral scholarships, funded by foreign countries, and non-bilateral scholarships, which are financed by the Ghanaian taxpayer. Non-bilateral scholarships include funding for both local and foreign categories.
Scholarship for the well-connected and not-so needy
The Fourth Estate asked for data covering 2019-2020 because the Auditor-General had released a report (covering 2009-2018) in which it highlighted how deserving but financially disadvantaged students were sidelined, while scholarships were granted to the well-connected.
Our investigations revealed a similar trend—the funneling of scholarship funds to influential people as well as children, relatives and associates of powerful figures.
The Fourth Estate conducted an analysis of the data specifically focusing on scholarships funded by the government of Ghana. This analysis included a breakdown of the expenditures on scholarship recipients in various countries, details of the programmes pursued by the beneficiaries and their backgrounds.
From our analysis, in 2019-2020, the Scholarship Secretariat spent at least 291,480 pounds sterling (GBP), 146,502 US dollars (USD) and 7,685 Canadian dollars (CAD) respectively on influential individuals and the associates of the political elite.
Notably, the founder and chief executive of a private hospital in Accra who recently contested and lost in the NPP parliamentary primaries in the Ashanti Region received USD50,031 for his master’s in public administration at Harvard University in the United States.
An NPP constituency executive from the Eastern Region was awarded multiple scholarships for master’s programmes, totaling GBP57,210.
An NPP youth activists and a management member of the National Service Scheme (NSS) funded her Master’s degree studies with a scholarship award worth GBP18,450.
One of the most worrying details from the information we received concerned a special assistant to Second Lady, Samira Bawumia. GBP17,355 was paid for the special assistant to attend a university in the United Kingdom but he never stepped on campus and dropped out of the programme after attending only a few online classes from Ghana.
There is also the case of the family member of President Nana Akufo-Addo and former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta whose path to law school in the United Kingdom was cleared with a GBP16,740 scholarship.
A UK branch executive of the NPP, who has been living in that country since 2008, also received GBP28,380 for a Master’s Programme in Law.
Two top diplomats are also on the list of beneficiaries of a scholarship meant to empower the underprivileged, according to information on the Scholarship Secretariat’s own website.
Children of the political & social elite
The data revealed that it wasn’t just the politically connected who obtain government scholarships. Children of Ghana’s political and social elite also received scholarships, leveraging influence and privilege to access educational opportunities intended for brilliant but needy Ghanaians.
For example, the daughter of a former Inspector General of Police received GBP27,480 for a first-degree programme in the United Kingdom.
In that same year, the daughter of prominent actress received USD41,026 for a pre-medicine programme in the United States.
The children of two former Members of Parliament received GBP19,130 and USD36,675 for a first degree in law and a pre-medicine programme respectively.
The daughter of a former national chairman of the NPP, who is a lawyer, got funding of almost GBP6,000 to qualify to practice as a lawyer in England and Wales.
The identities of these beneficiaries would be revealed in subsequent publications.
Multiple scholarships
Data from the Scholarship Secretariat showed that at least 27 people received multiple scholarships which allowed them to pursue different programmes in two consecutive years or different programmes in a single year. This means while some needy students were struggling to secure a scholarship to fund one programme, others received funding for two different programmes.
At least 13 individuals received multiple scholarships in consecutive years (2019 and 2020), with amounts ranging from GBP13,250 to GBP55,000 per school to cover tuition and living expenses. 14 others were granted two different scholarships within the same year, either in different countries or in the same country.
The Fourth Estate confirmed that one beneficiary received GBP28,330 in 2019 to cover his living expenses and tuition for an MSc degree Management at the Brunel University in London. In 2020, the state again paid GBP15,750 for his MBA in Business Administration at the University of the West of England.
Another beneficiary received USD38,475 for an MA in Design Management at Savanna College in the United States in 2019. In the following year, the same person received GBP14,500 for an MA in Visual Communication at the University of Derby in the UK.
Discrepancies in criteria and guidelines
The GETFund Act, which makes funding available to the Scholarship Secretariat, explicitly stipulates that government scholarships are meant to support brilliant but needy Ghanaian students.
The Registrar of the Scholarship Secretariat, Dr Kingsley Agyemang, insists that this provision merely means that the primary criteria for receiving a scholarship are for the applicant to have a Ghanaian citizenship and an admission offer to a local or foreign university. The award of the scholarship has nothing to do with need, he claims.
While rejecting suggestions that scholarships are being wantonly awarded to those who are well-connected to the political and social elite, Dr Agyeman implied that recommendations from powerful persons and offices sometimes influence the award of scholarships.
I have journalists and the media making recommendations for people. I also do know that we have chiefs and the clergy making recommendations for people. I also do know that I have politicians on both sides also making recommendations for people they believe deserve an award,” he said.
“We live in a society where we are somehow connected in so many ways and it becomes difficult when we want to separate these little interactions.”
Despite Mr Agyeman’s insistence on the existence of selection guidelines, the Scholarship Secretariat failed to provide any document with such guidelines to The Fourth Estate. Repeated calls and Whatsapp messages requesting for the guidelines went unanswered.
Dr Clement Apaak, the deputy minority spokesperson on education, insists that using any criteria other than “brilliant but needy” to award scholarships, defeats the purpose of setting up the Scholarship Secretariat.
“When we bring in exclusive groups as being conduits through which scholarships can be given, then we are subjecting the process to abuse,” he said.
Prof Peter Quartey, the Director of Institute of Statistical Social and Economic Research (ISSER), agreed with Dr Apaak and noted that relying on recommendations to assess need is not good enough.
“For the politically-exposed people, they are Ghanaians. They pay taxes. They should meet the minimum standards that are set and they should all be part of the process,” he said.
“If we have an independent committee or board that assesses every application, they will all be given equal opportunity. When politically-exposed persons want to apply, they can apply – except when there is influence and they are the ones who benefit most.”
Dr Apaak, however, insists that influential or politically exposed persons and their close relatives should not be eligible to apply for government scholarships.
He asserted that it was not for nothing that tax laws are designed to positively discriminate in favour of the poor and added that the needy also deserve their fair share of opportunities offered by the state.
He described the offering of scholarship to influential people, children of the affluent and their associates as a form of greed. This, he said, has the tendency to widen the inequality gap between the rich and the poor in society.
“It is in their own interest not to continue to be greedy and selfish, where they can afford to educate their wards and yet they choose to let their wards benefit from scholarship that should be going to the wards of the less fortunate in society,” Dr Apaak said.
“Society ought to be designed in a way that [we] would always sacrifice collectively to bring up those who are down.”
Multiple scholarships
When The Fourth Estate pointed out concerns about double scholarships to some beneficiaries while other deserving applicants were rejected, Dr Agyemang claimed that those who received the double scholarships pursued complementary courses. He insisted that the number of such double beneficiaries was insignificant.
Dr Agyemang also attributed some of the multiple scholarships to “administrative error” on the part of some staff of the secretariat who are accustomed to manual record-keeping.
However, Prof Quartey of ISSER noted that such multiple awards could only be justified if they were for courses that could not be undertaken in Ghana or for specialties in science, technology, engineering and technology, with stringent requirements for beneficiaries to return to the country to pass on their knowledge and skills.
Dr Apaak, on the other hand, described the multiple scholarship awards as unfortunate as they showed the insensitivity of the Scholarship Secretariat.
DISCLAIMER: TIGPost.co will not be liable for any inaccuracies contained in this article. The views expressed in the article are solely those of the author’s, and do not reflect those of The Independent Ghana.
If the letter did not come with funding, email the programme coordinator or professors to inquire about graduate assistantship opportunities.
If that doesn’t work, explore the school’s website for possible on-campus work, or maybe try another department office.
If all else fails, consider student loans or obtaining a legitimate bank statement.
How to obtain an I-20:
If you have received funding (assistantship, research assistantship, scholarship, or loan letter), submit it to the international admissions office.
If not, provide a bank statement (6-3 months old) with sufficient funds (higher than your total cost of attendance or total fee for one year). Your total fees is $20,0000; you need a bank statement of $30,000.00.
Visa application process:
Create your DS-160 and fill in the first page with your details.
Save the first page and use the confirmation number to book a date in your CJI portal. https://cgifederal.secure.force.com/
Register with GT Bank (for Ghana) and generate a coupon.
Schedule an appointment and input your DS-160 confirmation number, I-20, and passport details.
Pay the fee and select an earliest available date.
How to continue a saved DS-160 form:
Visit the CEAC website and enter the location where you submitted your form. Visit https://ceac.state.gov/GenNIV/Default.aspx
Enter the DS-160 confirmation number and continue with the application.
Note: Make sure to have all necessary documents (I-20, passport, and DS-160confirmation number) when booking a visa appointment.”
Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) has started accepting applications for its local scholarship program for undergraduate and graduate students for the academic year 2023/2024.
“The GETFund invites eligible candidates to apply for undergraduate (Diploma, HND & Degree) programmes, as well as graduate scholarships for the 2023/2024 academic year,” the Administrator of GETFund, Dr Richard Boadu, said.
These scholarships will offer financial help to students pursuing Diploma, Higher National Diploma (HND), and Degree programs.
The goal is to support deserving students, allowing them to tap into their potential and pursue academic success.
During a media engagement, Dr. Boadu, urged potential applicants to take advantage of this opportunity to secure their future and explore various possibilities.
“Whether you aspire to further your education in the arts, sciences, business or any other field, the GETFund Scholarship can assist you in achieving your goals,” he added.
Application procedure
Dr Boadu urged prospective applicants to visit the GETFund website:
https://getfund.scholarshipsplatform.com to complete the Online Application by filling out the online application form available on the portal.
“Applicants must provide the required information and upload scanned copies of necessary documentation for vetting and shortlisting,” he added.
Dr Boadu explained that after the submission, applications would undergo vetting processes, after which shortlisted applicants would be contacted for further instructions.
He advised applicants to ensure that they follow the guidelines provided on the portal for a smooth application process.
Dr. Boadu announced that the application period, which started on December 20, 2023, will close on January 31, 2024 highlighting that late applications won’t be considered, so it’s crucial to submit before the deadline.
Dr. Boadu warned against fraudulent activities during the application process, stating that any misrepresentation could lead to criminal proceedings.
He mentioned that applicants cannot apply for the same degree (Undergraduate or Postgraduate) twice if they have already received a scholarship. Providing incorrect information will result in automatic disqualification. Continuing students should indicate the entire duration of their program, not just the remaining academic year.
“Applicants are not allowed to apply for the same degree (Undergraduate, Postgraduate) twice if they have already received a scholarship,” he said, adding that providing incorrect information would lead to automatic disqualification” he stated.
Dr. Boadu highlighted factors that could lead to automatic disqualification, including failure to complete the application, submitting multiple applications, discrepancies between uploaded documents and information in the form, conflicting identities in documents, selecting incorrect schools or programs,and submitting blurred or incorrectly formatted documents.
He emphasised that the entire application process is free, with no intermediaries involved. Any payments made to individuals or organisations related to the application process are at the applicant’s own risk.
Scholarship Amount: Full Tuition Fee and Monthly Stipend of $1000
Eligible Degrees: AFAM, Master’s, PhD
The Italian government consistently endeavours to make its education system accessible to international students. One notable initiative is theItalian Government Scholarships for Foreign Students, among the premier Italian scholarships for international students.
Introduced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, these programs aim to provide support to students from various parts of the world, particularly those facing financial challenges.
This scholarship in Italy is strategically designed to enhance international cooperation across technological, cultural, and scientific domains.
Available to eligible international students enrolled in Italian universities, the scholarships cover partial or full tuition fees based on the number of qualified students and their academic merit.
Additionally, recipients receive monthly allowances, totaling approximately $1000, disbursed on a quarterly basis. Before initiating the application process, you can verify the eligibility of your country on the scholarship page.
2. University of Bologna Study Grants for International Students
Scholarship Amount: $13,000 Grants and Tuition Fee Waivers
Eligible Degrees: Bachelor’s, Master’s
Several universities in Italy provide institutional financial aid to eligible students. One such example is the University of Bologna, which offers study grants to students meeting the qualification criteria. Some students may also be eligible for full tuition waivers throughout the duration of their current programs, applicable to First, Single, or Second Cycle Degree Programmes at the University of Bologna.
To qualify for this scholarship in Italy, it is essential to possess academic qualification documents that meet the requirements of the selected course. Ensure that all necessary documents are ready by the time of registration. Additionally, only individuals who have not previously benefited from this grant are eligible. For further information and a comprehensive guide on the application process, visit the official scholarship website.
3. Padua International Excellence Scholarship Programme
Scholarship Amount: Tuition Fee Waiver and $9,000 Annual Stipend
Eligible Degrees: Bachelor’s, Master’s
As one of the premier universities in Italy, the University of Padua is dedicated to fostering the growth of its international community. In line with this commitment, the institution has established a scholarship program offering 50 scholarships to highly promising students seeking to pursue a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree. All courses are conducted in English, making this scholarship opportunity accessible to a wide pool of eligible international students.
Given the substantial number of applicants, the competition for these scholarships is intense. Due to its high level of selectivity, students with exceptional achievements and outstanding academic records will be chosen for this award. The maximum duration of the scholarship for Bachelor’s degrees is approximately three years, while for Master’s degree candidates, it is around two years.
Also offered by the University of Padua, Regione Veneto Scholarships were established for students who came from low-income families. In order to be considered for this scholarship, eligible applicants must first be admitted into one of the programs offered by the University of Padua, and they also must be eligible to obtain an Italian visa, which is an ideal requirement for an international applicant.
To accommodate as many students as they can, the scholarship award mainly depends on your family income, which means that a low family income means high financial aid. Even though the duration of this scholarship is only one year, scholarship recipients renew their scholarship duration by meeting the renewal requirements.
Scholarship Amount: 50% or Full Tuition Fee Waiver
Eligible Degree: Bachelor’s, Master’s
Another university with a program(s) geared towards improving the welfare of international students is the University of Bocconi. It has two popular programs for international students. Merit Awards, for one, cover full tuition fee costs for those who meet the requirements. Undergraduate students who are beneficiaries of these awards receive up to $14,500, while graduates can receive up to $15,700.
It’s worth noting, though, that the acceptance rate of those who apply for this scholarship is very low. This can be attributed to the huge amount of funds awarded to each beneficiary. Nevertheless, you always have a chance of being considered provided you meet the minimum requirements set by the university.
Are you a student in the fields of Engineering and Architecture? Consider Politecnico di Torino as your potential destination. The institution provides Italian scholarships for international students interested in their programs. There are five distinct scholarship projects available at the institution.
For example, the Alta Scuola Politecnica targets talented international students interested in the Master of Science programs. The COLFUTURO scholarships are specifically designed for Colombian students enrolled in Engineering and Architecture programs at the Master of Science and Ph.D. levels. Additional scholarship opportunities include the Eni Project (Petroleum Engineering), TOPoliTo, and Invest Your Talent in Italy. For more details on each of these programs, visit the official scholarship page.
The Open Doors Report, released on Monday, November 13, 2023, and shared by the US Embassy in Ghana, reveals that over 6,400 Ghanaian students pursued their education in the United States during the 2022–2023 academic year.
Published annually by the Institute of International Education (IIE), the report analyzes the statistics of international students studying in the United States.
“U.S. colleges and universities offer world-class educational opportunities, and Ghanaian students in the United States are deepening the ties of friendship, family, and business between our countries. We are so happy to see Ghanaians seeking to learn, develop their skills, and return to Ghana to benefit their communities,” said U.S. Ambassador to Ghana Virginia Palmer.
Ghana has achieved a position among the top 25 countries globally for sending the highest number of students to the United States, according to the recently published Open Doors Report on Monday, November 13, 2023. The report highlights that a record-breaking 6,468 Ghanaian students studied in the United States during the 2022-2023 academic year, marking a substantial 31.6% increase. Among them, 4,140 were enrolled in graduate degree programs, representing a notable 38% surge from the previous year and positioning Ghana as the 14th largest sender of graduate students to the United States.
In the same period, Ghanaian students secured nearly $9 million in scholarships, distributed across more than 700 higher educational institutions in all 50 states. To accommodate the rising demand, the U.S. Embassy processed a record number of student visa cases in the last fiscal year.
The United States maintains its status as the leading destination for international students, hosting over one million (1,057,188) international students in the academic year 2022-2023, marking a 12% increase from the previous year.
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fields remain the predominant focus for international students, with mathematics and computer science continuing to lead as the primary fields of study in 2022/23.
This year, the U.S. Embassy in Ghana hosted the two largest EducationUSA college fairs ever held in the country, in Accra and Kumasi, attracting more than 13,000 students, parents, and academic professionals. The U.S. Embassy actively supports qualified individuals in navigating the application process for U.S. colleges and universities through EducationUSA, the U.S. Department of State’s network of education advisers.
Ghana currently houses two EducationUSA Advising Centers at the U.S. Embassy in Accra and at ACE Consult in Asokwa, Kumasi. EducationUSA Advisors collaborate with students both in-person and virtually to facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the college or university application process, fostering successful applications.
Over the past year, EducationUSA advisers from these centers in Accra and Kumasi assisted thousands of Ghanaian students in applying for admissions to accredited U.S. institutions of higher learning.
Kindly Graduate Assistantship and Research Assistantship given to individuals who qualify for them, depending on their profile or application materials.
Heard the myth that certain grades can’t secure full funding in the USA? Let’s debunk that!
Presenting 30 remarkable universities that open their doors to HND, 2:2, and 3rd class holders. And guess what? Many of them offer graduate assistantships! 🎓💰
A Kenyan senator has been apprehended in connection with a scholarship scandal.
Jackson Mandago, along with three others, faces a total of 11 charges, encompassing accusations of theft and misuse of authority.
Allegedly, Mandago participated in a scheme that purportedly conspired to embezzle approximately 1.1 billion Kenyan shillings (equivalent to $7.6 million or £5.9 million). These funds were originally intended to facilitate higher education opportunities for Kenyan students in Finland and Canada.
Local media reports have indicated that numerous students who had made payments for overseas education were left stranded within Kenya due to these purported actions. For those who had already commenced studies abroad, the situation posed the risk of homelessness, expulsion, and deportation as the county government ceased disbursements for accommodation and tuition.
The allegations come to light during a period when Mr. Mandago was serving as a governor.
It has been noted that Mr. Mandago has previously denied any misappropriation of the funds in question, as reported by Kenya’s Star newspaper.
According to an additional report, Mr. Mandago, along with the incumbent Uasin Gishu county governor, has undertaken an agreement to facilitate refunds for the affected individuals.
The scandal’s perpetrators have been warned to promptly return the funds for the Finland and Canada Overseas Education Program under penalty of “trouble” by President William Ruto, who also made a statement on the subject.
He declared that he would provide local scholarships to individuals affected once the investigations were completed.
Through the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), the government has granted new scholarships to 4,279 students enrolled in various universities and colleges across Ghana.
These scholarship recipients encompass both undergraduate and postgraduate students, spanning diverse academic disciplines.
This year’s count signifies a significant increase of sixty-three percent (63%) in successful applicants, in contrast to the 2,704 individuals who received scholarships in 2022.
To break down the statistics, a total of 2,951 awardees are pursuing diploma or degree programs, while 1,328 beneficiaries are engaged in master’s or PhD programs, encompassing both private and public colleges/universities within Ghana.
Furthermore, out of the awardees, 1,963 individuals, constituting 46%, have chosen to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) related programs. On the other hand, 2,316 recipients, making up 54% of the awardees, are pursuing programs in the field of Humanities.
As of August 2, 2023, the Fund has successfully disbursed a total amount of GH¢25,278,029.39 in fees to the accounts of institutions where the awardees are enrolled.
Recalling events from December 2022, the GETFund had extended an open invitation to the general public for prospective applicants to apply for local scholarships through its dedicated online portal, created both for receiving scholarship applications and their subsequent management.
The response was overwhelming, with a total of 22,000 applications submitted. This enthusiastic interest led the Board of Trustees of the Fund to expand the available slots to accommodate the current significant number of 4,279 recipients.
The Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) has granted new scholarships to a total of 4,279 students who are currently enrolled in various universities and colleges throughout Ghana.
These scholarships encompass both undergraduate and postgraduate programs, spanning a diverse array of disciplines.
This year’s count showcases a significant increase of 63% in successful applicants, compared to the 2,704 recipients in 2022.
Breaking down the recipients by degree and program type, we observe that 2,951 are pursuing diploma or degree programs, while 1,328 beneficiaries are engaged in master’s or PhD programs, encompassing both private and public educational institutions in Ghana.
Among the awardees, 1,963 (46%) are pursuing studies in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)-related fields, while 2,316 (54%) are dedicated to programs in the Humanities.
As of August 2, 2023, the Fund has disbursed a total of GH¢25,278,029.39 in scholarship fees to the respective institutions where the awardees are studying.
Recalling that in December 2022, GETFund opened applications for local scholarships through an online portal.
The response was overwhelming, with a total of 22,000 applications submitted. In light of this strong interest, the Fund’s Board of Trustees decided to increase the number of available scholarships to the current figure of 4,279 recipients.
However, it is worth noting that, as of August 2, 2023, approximately 300 successful applicants have yet to accept the scholarship offers sent to them via email. Despite efforts to reach out to them, the Fund has been unable to proceed with their documentation for further processing, as announced in a statement by GETFund.
“It must be placed on record that as of August 2, 2023, about three hundred (300) successful applicants have still not accepted the scholarship offers sent to them via their email addresses, although efforts have been made to contact them. Hence, the Fund is unable to process their documentation for further action,” GETFund announced in a statement.
1.Maastricht University 2024-2025 Fully funded Holland-High Potential Scholarship, Netherlands. The Scholarship programme offers 24 full scholarships of € 30,000 (including tuition fee waiver and monthly stipend) each academic year for highly talented students from outside the European Union (EU) who have been admitted to a master’s.
Deadline: February 1, 2024
Posted: July 11, 2023
2. University Of British Columbia 2024 Fully Funded Schmidt Science Fellows program, Canada. It provides the world’s best emerging scientists with new skills and perspectives to develop novel solutions to society’s challenges, become scientific and societal thought leaders, and accelerate ground-breaking discoveries.
Deadline: Not Specified
Posted: July 6, 2023
3.European Commission 2023 Youth4Regions Program for Aspiring Journalists in EU and Neighboring Country Citizenship.Youth4Regions is the European Commission program helping journalism students and young journalists to discover what the EU is doing in their region. APPLY NOW!
Deadline: July 10, 2023
4.Boston University (BU) 2023 Trustee Scholarship, UK
Every year, BU welcomes approximately 20 outstanding students to the Trustee Scholars Program. Many of our current Scholars had perfect 4.0 grade point averages in high school and ranked in the top of their class. In addition to exceptional academic credentials.
Deadline: December 1, 2023
5.University of Manchester 2023-2024 Humanitarian Scholarships
Social responsibility lies at the heart of our University and we are committed to playing our part in helping those fleeing conflict and persecution by offering the opportunity to study at Manchester. Set up in 2022, our Humanitarian Scholarship programme supports individuals at immediate risk.
A brilliant Secondary School graduate, Benjamin Darko, whose impressive 2021 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) result went viral online has been offered a full educational scholarship by the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) to pursue Chemical Engineering at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology (KNUST).
Announcing the scholarship package during a meeting with Darko and his family today at the office of the Vice Chancellor (VC) of KNUST, the Executive Director of the GNPC Foundation, Dr. Dominic Eduah, said the Education & Training unit of the Foundation is offering the support to restore young Darko’s hopes and has, in collaboration with its educational partners, initiated steps to facilitate his successful admission in the University’s next enrolment window.
Despite scoring 5A’s and 3Bs, the intelligent 21-year-old former Science student at Presbyterian Senior Secondary School (PRESEC) – Legon has had his desire to pursue a Medical-Science related course at the University hindered by the lack of financial support.
In keeping himself busy and to give his dreams a chance, the boy from Bepowase, a farming community in Akuapim North Municipality of the Eastern Region, has since 2021 taken to several menial jobs in a rather daunting bid to save for his education.
Currently working as a fuel attendant at a GOIL station in Kumasi, Darko’s predicament gained national attention after his story was highlighted in a GHOne news report that went viral on social.
“At GNPC Foundation, we understand the challenges of many parents and students seeking advancements in education amidst tight financial constraints and we are happy to play the role of facilitating the realization of many dreams through our scholarships and other educational intervention programmes,” Dr. Eduah commented.
Professor Rita Akosua Dickson, VC of KNUST, expressed delight in the opportunity to contribute to the molding of Benjamin Darko when he begins his KNUST journey. She congratulated him and advised him to stay disciplined.
Excited about the prospects of finally getting his education back on track, Benjamin thanked GNPC for contributing to supporting his future and assured to do his best.
This bursary will be made to 2 graduate students at Brock University studying Nursing who demonstrate financial need.
Eligibility
To be eligible to apply for internal awards, scholarships, and bursaries, the graduate student must be registered as a full-time student.
A student who iswithdrawn from the university or has a change of status will have their scholarship eligibility reviewed and adjustments to their financial support.
Must study Nursing.
Must demonstrate financial need.
Benefits
The scholarship is worth $5,707.
Application
At the time you submit your application to graduate studies at Brock University you are required to complete and submit the Graduate Student Internal Entrance Scholarship/Award Application which will appear on your applicant portal account as a document required for admission.
After you have submitted your graduate studies application, instructions to activate your applicant portal account will be sent via email.
2.Vice Chancellor’s International Student Scholarship
PHD, Master, Bachelor
£1,500
They understand that you may face additional challenges and they’re here to support you every step of the way.
If you’re a self-funded International Student paying overseas fees, you may qualify for a Vice Chancellor’s International Student Scholarship of £1,500 on your first year of study with they.
Eligibility
Applicants must hold an offer from Buckinghamshire New University for a full-time degree programme, starting in either January 2022 or September 2022.
Applicants must be self-funded
Programme of study must be Level 4 or above
Programme of study must be at least one year in duration
The tuition fee charged must be at least £12,500
This scholarship cannot be used in conjunction with another scholarship or bursary offered byBuckinghamshire New University.
Benefits
The scholarship offers a £1,500 amount, to help you with your studies
Application
You do not need to complete an application form to be considered for this scholarship.
3.One World International Scholarship
PHD, Master, Bachelor
$2000 – $5,000
Benefits
The scholarship offers a $2000 – $5,000 amount, to help you with your studies
Application
Review the Eligibility Criteria for the Scholarship;
Obtain “unofficial” transcripts of all your post-secondary studies (in British Columbia and elsewhere);
Obtain two references using the forms included with the Application (link below). One reference must be completed by an academic reference (commenting on your academic abilities) and one by a non-academic reference (commenting on your volunteer or extra-curricular activities);
Stephen Koomson, a brilliant 21-year-old former student of Mpohor Senior High School in the Western Region who, for financial constraints, resorted to illegal mining (galamsey) instead of furthering his education, has been granted a full educational scholarship by the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) to study Law at the University of Ghana.
Koomson, whose plight caught the attention of GNPC when his story went viral on social media, recorded an impressive 5As and 3Bs across various subjects in the 2021 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) but has since had his education curtailed by the lack of support and this, according to him, led to his involvement in small-scale illegal mining.
At a brief meeting with the former Mpohor SHS student and his guardians, the Executive Director of the GNPC Foundation, Dr. Dominic Eduah, described Stephen’s circumstance as an “unfortunate situation deserving immediate attention” and hence, GNPC’s decision to intervene.
“We are enrolling him on the GNPC scholarship immediately to put his dreams of becoming a lawyer back on track and we are just as excited to offer him an opportunity to facilitate this in consonance with the tenets of our Education & Training mandate,” he said.
He added that GNPC, in collaboration with other relevant stakeholders, have set in motion plans to ensure Stephen gains admission into the University of Ghana Law School by the next Academic year.
A visibly elated yet emotional Koomson expressed his profound gratitude to GNPC for acting on his story to ensure the life and future he envisioned as a boy becomes a reality.
He assured of his readiness to remain studious and be a worthy ambassador for GNPC.
In 2022, the Church of Pentecost, through its various Districts, Areas and Ministries in Ghana, together with the Headquarters, spent GHS 10,686,084.76 to sponsor the educational pursuits of members of the Church at various levels.
This figure included GHS 863,443.64 spent under the Headquarters’ sponsored’ Pentecost Education Scholarship Scheme’ (PESS) for other tertiary students,” Apostle Eric Nyamekye, the Chairman of the Church, has revealed.
Apostle Nyamekye disclosed this during the 2022 State-of-the-Church Address (SOCA22) he delivered at the 46th General Council Meetings opening ceremony on Wednesday, May 3, 2023.
“It is interesting to note that for the past four years, since the inception of the Vision 2023 agenda, a total amount of GHS1,625,417.02 has so far been spent by the Headquarters on educational support under the Pentecost Education Scholarship Scheme,” he said.
Apostle Nyamekye further noted: “For the past four years, educational support from various Assemblies, Districts, Areas, and Ministries in Ghana amounted to GHS 23,313,518.93.”
The Chairman stated that through the Pentecost Social Services (PENTSOS), the social services arm of the Church, in consultation with the various Areas of the Church, 107 educational institutions had been established in Ghana comprising 103 basic schools, two (2) senior high schools, and two (2) vocational training institutes.
He further stated that the total enrolment in these schools was 35,486 students (Boys: 16,924 and Girls:18,544), with 2,184 staff (both teaching and administrative) gainfully employed to assist in operating and managing the schools.
The Chairman’s State-of-the-Church address provides a report on the achievements under the various intervention areas of the Church’s Vision 2023 agenda of “Possessing the Nations,” as well as all significant developments that took place in a particular reporting year.
If you have a low GPA (2.2), 3rd Class or HND, these are the things you must do to ensure you secure an admission in the US with funding.
Evaluating results with WES:World Education Services (WES) is a non-profit organization that evaluates international academic credentials for individuals who want to study or work in Canada or the US.
Their evaluations help academic institutions and employers understand the value of an individual’s educational qualifications. To evaluate your result with WES, you need to submit your academic credentials, including transcripts and certificates, to WES for evaluation.
2. Research interest: A research interest is an area of study that you are passionate about and would like to investigate further. It is an essential aspect of academic research as it helps you focus your research efforts and make meaningful contributions to your field.
3. Cold emailing professors: Cold emailing is the practice of sending unsolicited emails to individuals or organizations that you want to establish a connection with. In the academic context, cold emailing professors is a common practice among graduate students or individuals looking for research opportunities.
To draft a compelling cold email, you need to research the professor’s work, explain why you are interested in their research, and demonstrate how your skills and interests align with their work.
4. Academic CV: An academic CV is a document that summarizes your academic achievements, publications, research experience, and other relevant qualifications. It is an essential tool for academics, researchers, and graduate students looking for research or academic positions. To draft an irresistible academic CV, you need to highlight your accomplishments, tailor your CV to the job or position you are applying for, and ensure that your CV is well-organized and easy to read.
5. Additional skills: In addition to academic qualifications, individuals in the academic and research field require additional skills to succeed. These skills include communication, time management, data analysis, problem-solving, and project management.
To acquire additional skills, you can take courses, attend workshops, or seek mentorship from experienced professionals in your field. Examples of such skills include:
Statistical/computational ability
Research & Teaching skills
Communication ability
Volunteering and community Development experience
Admission in the US for MS/PhD is not necessarily about your CGPA. The defining requirements that makes an admission application strong are:
Components of the Academic CV
SOP
LoR
Research and Teaching Skills
Volunteering/Community service
Also below are some desirable skills schools and scholarship hubs look out for to award funding to students, especially in theUSA, UK and Canada.
Data Analytics Skills
Statistical Analytics Skills
Python or R programming Skills
Teaching Experience (even Virtual Teaching is ok)
Volunteering experience and Community Service
Research Interest
These are desirable aptitude for Graduate School. Especially if you are looking for an Admission that offers GTA and GRA, you need these.
However, note that this is both for those in STEM and NON-STEM fields.
STEM and non-STEM are two categories of academic fields. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, while non-STEM refers to fields that are not included in these categories.
Non-STEM fields, on the other hand, encompass a broad range of academic disciplines that are not included in the STEM categories. Examples of non-STEM fields include social sciences (such as psychology, sociology, and anthropology), humanities (such as history, philosophy, and literature), arts (such as music, fine arts, and theater), business, law, education, and many others.
It is worth noting that both STEM and non-STEM fields have their unique challenges and opportunities. While STEM fields often require strong analytical and quantitative skills, non-STEM fields may require excellent communication, critical thinking, and writing abilities. Ultimately, the choice of a field of study depends on personal interests, career goals, and academic strengths.
Deadline: 2 May 2023 (annual) Course starts Sept/Oct 2023
Application instructions:
To be eligible for the scholarship, you must have an unconditional offer to study a full time masters degree in London at the UCL Institute of Education. Once you receive your unconditional offer letter, you can complete and submit an online application form. Deadline is 2 May 2023, 23:55 (BST).
Visit the official website @www.ucl.ac.uk for detailed information on how to apply for this scholarship.
2. UWE Millennium Scholarship for International Students
Host Institution(s): University of the West of England, London, UK
Deadline: 31 May 2023 (annual)
Course starts Sept 2023
Eligibility:
To be eligible for the scholarship:
• Have achieved the equivalent of a British 1st in an undergraduate degree
• Hold an unconditional offer or a conditional offer where IELTS or equivalent English language is the only condition
• Be a new student to UWE Bristol with no previous UK study
• Be classed as overseas for fees purposes
• Not be a sponsored student or in receipt of another scholarship/award
• Provide official transcripts at the time of application
Application instructions:
If you pass the eligibility criteria as listed above, you will be invited to apply as part of the application process. If invited, you will receive a link to an online application form which must be completed before 31 May 2023 for September 2023 entry.
Visit the official website @www.uwe.ac.uk for detailed information on how to apply for this scholarship.
3.Université Paris-Saclay International Master’s Scholarships
Host Institution(s):Université Paris-Saclay
Deadline: 10 May 2023 (annual) Study in: France Course starts Sept 2023
Eligibility:
Students admitted to a Université Paris-Saclay Master’s programme delivered by one of the following institutions: AgroParisTech, CentraleSupelec, ENS Paris-Saclay, INSTN-CEA, IOGS, UEVE, UPSaclay, UVSQ. Among these students, only those who answer one of the following criteria are eligible to apply:
• Newly arrived international students, aged 30 and less during the course of the selection year.
• Students of foreign nationality living on the French soil for less than a year, previously or currently enrolled in a training course or internship that does not lead to certification.
• Students of foreign nationality living on the French soil for less than a year, taking language classes (type FFL).
• Students who have lived in France in the past, within the framework of a mobility programme during their studies (e.g. Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Degrees, exchange programme…) that did not lead to certification.
Are ineligible: • All students who have been or who are enrolled in a French higher education institution during their studies, except international students enrolled in a French higher education institution abroad. • Individuals who have interrupted their studies for more than 3 consecutive years. • Students holding any other type of scholarship whose amount exceeds €650/month.
Application instructions:
To be considered for the scholarships, students must first be admitted to a Master’s Programme offered at Université Paris-Saclay. Being admitted into a master’s program of the University does not automatically entitle you to a scholarship.
Scholarships to study journalism and development communication at the University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMAC) have been offered to 15 students, including 12 undergraduate and 3 graduate students.
The Lebanese community granted the support for the deserving and exceptional Ghanaian students.
Maher Kheir, the Lebanese ambassador to Ghana, honored the Lebanese community for its outstanding work over the years in assisting Ghanaian students with their education in the disciplines of journalism and law during a brief ceremony at the UniMAC-Ghana Institute of Journalism campus in Accra.
The scholarship, he said, was proof that the Lebanese believed in education as the bedrock for social transformation.
Describing Lebanese in Ghana as partners for development, the diplomat said they would continue to pursue initiatives that would enrich the historical relationship between the two countries.
“Media, arts and communication are very powerful tools that can shape any country’s growth.
Lebanon is a leader in the Middle East region in media and arts.
I am confident that we will see deeper cooperation between Lebanese and Ghanaianschools towards a bright future,” he said.
He was hopeful that as part of efforts to promote educational cooperation, there would be more collaborations between schools in Lebanon and Ghana.
Ambassador Kheir congratulated GIJ on its new status as the University of Media, Arts and Communications (UniMAC) and called for innovations to help students solve problems in society.
Evolving
“The world is evolving very fast and so are the challenges of men.
Many countries, including Lebanon, are experiencing desperate times, which call for desperate measures.
Hence, it is necessary for institutions of higher learning like UniMAC to innovate and provide education that offers practical solutions to current problems,” he indicated.
The Vice Chancellor of UniMAC, Professor Kwamena Kwansah-Aidoo, who was grateful for the continuous support, also called for an expansion of the scheme to cover other UniMAC constituents.
The acting Rector of UniMAC-GIJ, Professor Eric Opoku Mensah, commended the Lebanese community for its commitment to the scheme over the past 10 years.
He urged the students to strive for professionalism in their chosen fields and endeavour to challenge bad journalism.
Excitement
A representative of the Lebanese Community, Naaman Ashkar, expressed excitement at the fruits that the scholarship scheme had produced over the years since its inception, noting that the community would continue to work to support Ghanaian students to reach their full potential.
The Lebanese Community Scholarship Programme started in 2013 as a way of supporting brilliant, needy Ghanaian students and deepening educational cooperation between both countries.
Over the past 10 years, the programme has produced a number of professionals, including practising lawyers, journalists and public relations officers, among others.
Some Ghanaian students in the United Kingdom under the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat are said to be stranded as they have not received their monthly stipends for over 8 months.
An online petition calling for government’s assistance to salvage the situation said, some of the students have been dismissed from their schools while others are being chased by their schools and landlords to pay their rent.
“Others have had to overstay because they cannot get money to go back to their country. Some have been sued by their landlords for refusal to pay rent,” the petition noted.
JoyNews interaction with some of the students confirmed the hardship and struggles.
“Those who even graduated December last year were paid only 3 or 4 months of stipend.”
“I came here in September last year. No stipend has been paid,” they disclosed.
Meanwhile, the Scholarship Secretariat in responding to the matter urged the students to remain steadfast and avoid engaging in any illegal act which could lead to embarrassing the country.
“As we conclave to consider strategies, we urge our scholars globally to forswear any acts of wrongdoings that will result in embarrassment to the Government of Ghana.
“In reality, this is the time to exhibit the real character of resilience as a Ghanaian and we advise that Scholars remain steadfast to the terms and conditions of the scholarship award even in the face of these challenges,” a statement from the Secretariat noted.
The Secretariat assured that it will meet students through its “Time with the Registrar” series to discuss the course of action to settle arrears and scholarship commitments.
A schedule of the meetings from the Secretariat with the students
“Schedules for the remaining countries will be communicated to you in due course via the various students’ platforms and students who wish to join via zoom would be required to register with their student leaders,” the statement added.
Senior High School (SHS) graduates with top grades and genuine financial need are encouraged to apply for the Izwe Scholarship Fund to pursue undergraduate or comparable tertiary programs of their choosing for the 20222023 academic year.
“The fund is activated annually to help selected candidates through their whole tertiary education as part of Izwe’s continuous commitment to positively influence lives through sponsorededucation,” said the company’s chief executive officer, Raymond Kwakye Bismarck.
The scholarship aims to empower our young people to influence change and contribute to Ghana’s development through building their capacities.
The scholarship fund is available for the minimal amount of time required by the student’s preferred educational institution for them to finish their academic program.
The recipient of the scholarship will be able to pursue their chosen degree since the requisite academic user fees and authorized course textbooks will be paid for.
Eligibility
Applicant must be a Ghanaian SHS graduate in need of financial support for tertiary education. They must have a Senior High School certificate with a maximum grade of aggregate 10 and not be older than 22 years of age. Applicant must have also gained admission to any of the public tertiary universities in Ghana. First-year students currently at any public university who meet the criteria above can also apply.
How To Apply
Applicant must complete an application form at www.izwe.com.gh including a brief motivating write up (500 words) on why the applicant should receive the scholarship. Finally, evidence of eligibility detailed above is required (i.e. SHS certificate from School attended & result slip, birth certificate, Letter of admission to tertiary institution etc).
Deadline for Submission of Application: 25th August 2022.
About Izwe
Izwe Savings and Loans Plc is a subsidiary of the Izwe Africa Group, which is now headquartered in Mauritius and operates in Zambia and Kenya with Support from South Africa.
After operating in Ghana for over a decade, Izwe, a non-bank financial institution, specialises in personal finance loans, business loans, asset-backed finance, savings & investment and offers tailored to the needs of people from all walks of life including entrepreneurs, traders, teachers, soldiers, healthcare workers, business owners and any small to medium sized enterprise.
 The University of Manitoba is making available the International Undergraduate Student Bursary, for international students with good academic standing, and with demonstrated financial need, who are undertaking Bachelors degree programmes in both the fall and winter terms.
About University of Manitoba
Since 1877, the University of Manitoba has been driving discovery and inspiring minds through innovative teaching and research excellence. Proudly located in the heart of Canada, the U of M has a strong and engaged community of students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors and community partners. With more than 145,000 alumni living in 140 countries, our impact is global.
International Undergraduate Student Bursary
Type- Undergraduate
Organization-University of Manitoba
Country to study- Canada
School to study- University of Manitoba
Course to study -Not specified
State of Origin
Gender- Men and Women
Application Deadline October 1, 2022
Aim and Benefits of International Undergraduate Student Bursary
The total amount of scholarships available each year is $240,000, which will be divided equally among the scholarship recipients.
Requirements for International Undergraduate Student Bursary Qualification
For international students with good academic standing, registered in both the fall and winter terms, and demonstrated financial need
All students must complete courses in both the fall and winter terms to be eligible. In most cases, students must register for and complete at least 60 percent of a full course-load per term (i.e., a minimum of 9 credit hours per term). Graduate students do not have to adhere to credit hour minimums provided they are registered as full-time students over the fall and winter terms with the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
Applicants must meet minimum G.P.A. requirements. Continuing students must have a minimum degree G.P.A. of 2.0. New students (from high school) must have a grade 12 average of 70% or higher. Students admitted on Mature Student Status may also be eligible for bursary consideration. International students in their first year of post-secondary study in Canada are not eligible to apply to the general bursary program.
Checkout:Scholarships for African students 2021/2022
Application Deadline
October 1, 2022
How to Apply
Financial need must be clearly documented on the application. Students who have applied for government students loans from other provinces must provide a copy of a current official government loan assessment to support their declaration of financial need.The University of Manitoba General Bursary Application is available from the beginning of August every year until 1 October.
Nigerian Afrobeat superstar David Adeleke popularly known as Davido in showbiz circles, has extended a helping hand to a brilliant but needy Ghanaian Senior High School (SHS) graduate, Suleyman Morro.
The West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) result of Morro, a graduate of Sunyani SHS, went viral on social media after he scored 8As. It turned out that he was unable to continue to the tertiary level due to a lack of finances.
This caught the attention of the Nigerian artiste, who mounted a search for Morro, whose story had been shared widely online.
With the help of netizens, young Suleyman Morro was found.
Giving an update on the situation, Davido said he had offered Morro a 5-year maximum fully-funded scholarship at his father’s institution, the Adeleke University in southwestern Nigeria.
Additionally, Suleyman Morro will have other benefits, including accommodation and allowance during his study.
“We have contacted Suleyman who lives in Ghana and he has been given a full 4/5 year scholarship to Adeleke university.. accommodation and allowance included ! God bless y’all.. #wrblo” Davido tweeted.
The Office of the Public Services Commission has urged the public to disregard any publication titled “Government Protocol Scholarship” form purported to come from the Commission.
A statement signed by Dr Janet Ampadu Fofie, Chairman of the Commission, said: “the form is fake and is not from the Commission, neither is it from government to the best of our knowledge”.
It calls on the security agencies to investigate the source of the form for possible prosecution of the culprit to serve as a deterrent to others.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of the Sagnarigu Municipality in the Northern Region, Hajia Mariam Iddrisu has revealed that 41 students have benefited from the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat due purely to the decentralization of the scheme.
Speaking at the Meet the Press last Friday, the MCE said the beneficiaries have so for earned up to GH¢80 000 as scholarship amount to further their education.
The MCE also enumerated numerous achievements in the Municipality in terms of access to education and the establishment or rehabilitation of school buildings among others.
She revealed that education remains among the top most development priorities of government and attracts similar attention in the municipality as well.
“With 2 universities in our area; 2 colleges of education; 1 TVET, 4 public Senior High Schools; 76 junior high schools; 129 primary schools; and 124 Kindergatens, 28 Private JHS in the municipality is proudly endowed with appreciable numbers of institutions across all the levels of acquiring formal educationâ€, she said.
On Secondary education, she added “at the secondary level, our four public senior high schools have experienced tremendous influx of students since the inception and implementation of the Free Senior High School Programme by government. Aiming at Access, Equity, and Quality, the Free SHS policy has come to make quality senior high education equitable and accessible to all, as enshrined in our constitution. Records have shown that the new entrants to our four senior high schools in Municipality as at the beginning of 2016/2017 academic year was 6,441â€
The NSS Deputy Director, Gifty Oware-Mensah (nee Oware-Aboagye)
Michael Ofori-Atta Jr is a relative of the former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta (right).
Former Inspector-General of Police, David Asante-Apeatu’s daughter, Nana Asabea Asante-Apeatu is one of the recipients
Zina Asante (right) is the daughter of actress Juliet Asante who is now the CEO of the National Film Authority
Dr Clement Apaak, MP for Builsa South
