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.
Meanwhile, a group of Ghanaian students studying at the University of Birmingham, UK, are facing deportation after their student visas were 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.
