We’re Working To Clear £32m Debt To UK Universities — Deputy High Commissioner

Ghana’s Deputy High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Aquinas Tawiah Quansah, has acknowledged the scale of debt owed to UK universities under the government’s scholarship programme, assuring that efforts are underway to resolve the crisis affecting Ghanaian students.

He made the remarks on Tuesday, March 25, when journalists participating in the UK-Ghana science, technology and innovation knowledge transfer trip paid a courtesy call on the High Commission in London.

Quansah revealed that the outstanding debt to institutions is substantial, estimating it at about £32 million, an amount he described as comparable to the entire budget of a ministry.

He explained that the commission is actively working to secure funds to settle the arrears, stressing that clearing the debt is critical to stabilising the situation for affected students.

According to him, the inability to pay the arrears has had far-reaching consequences, including the suspension of new scholarship awards to the UK since 2025. He noted that universities are unwilling to accept new government-sponsored students while previous financial obligations remain unsettled.

Quansah emphasised that the priority is to resolve the backlog to ensure that students can continue their studies without disruption. He added that the High Commission has been engaging both students and university authorities in an effort to manage the situation and find a workable solution.

Despite these efforts, he admitted that the process has been challenging, as institutions continue to demand payment of outstanding fees.

“We are doing what we can as a commission to get money to clear those debts, and I think you know about how much we owe the schools. I mean, it’s like the whole ministry’s budget. You know, 32 million pounds. That is a lot. But we are trying just to make sure we clear those debts so that the children can go home.

“Because of that, I think since 2025, we’ve not been able to give any scholarship to this country. Because no school will accept you if you owe others. So we will do everything that we can to make sure this particular programme is resolved,” he stated.

His comments come against the backdrop of growing concerns among Ghanaian students in the UK, many of whom are facing academic uncertainty due to delayed payments by the Ghana Scholarships Secretariat.

Several students have reportedly received warnings from their universities over unpaid tuition, with some institutions cautioning that continued non-payment could lead to withdrawal from programmes and potential visa complications.

The situation has also drawn political attention back home, with calls for urgent government intervention to clear the arrears and prevent further hardship for affected students.

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