Scholarship students 'abandoned' as fees left unpaid

A group of masters students from Ghana say they have been unable to graduate from Loughborough University after the Ghanian government failed to pay their tuition fees.

The six students completed studies, in Leicestershire, in September as part of a scholarship programme, but have not been allowed to receive their certificates.

Loughborough University, which said it was following the organisation's regulations, said its "repeated efforts" to resolve the matter with the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat (GSS) had "not been successful". The GSS did not respond to the BBC's request for comment.

The students say the mental toll of the situation during their studies had been "enormous".

Noah Krah, who studied towards a masters in construction management, said the GSS was supposed to send funds to cover the students' living costs as well as tuition fees.

The students said the GSS was meant to pay about £29,000 per student.

"I have been in contact with them. I have written petitions, I have written letters, I have had meetings both physically and virtually but still, to no avail.

"This situation is still pending, my tuition fees remain unpaid," Krah said.

The 26-year-old said he had hoped to return to his home in Ghana and "give back" to his country with the qualification he studied towards.

Emmanuel Boakye, 25, who studied a masters in data science, said he completed his academic requirements "believing [his] government would honour its commitment".

Instead, he said he had been "abandoned", and like others in his situation, was relying on the support of friends, family and local churches to make ends meet.

"It is emotionally exhausting to realise that months of sacrifice and academic effort may amount to nothing through something entirely out of my control," he said.

The students held a peaceful protest outside the Ghana High Commission in London on Tuesday.

Krah said he and his fellow students were still awaiting answers.

The BBC asked the GSS why the fees had not been paid and did not receive a response.

A spokesperson for Loughborough University said: "A small number of Ghanaian students at the university have been affected by the non-payment of their tuition fees by the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat (GSS) for an extended period of time.

"The university has made repeated efforts to resolve this matter directly with GSS, but to date these have not been successful.

"In line with university regulations, students with outstanding tuition fees are unable to be conferred with their degrees.

"We recognise the difficult position this places the students in and have been actively supporting them by providing advice and guidance on the options available to them.

"We continue to engage with the GSS in an effort to resolve this matter as quickly as possible, both in the interests of the students and the university."

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