The Ghana Scholarships Secretariat has disclosed that \$400,000 of a \$3.6 million debt owed to the University of Memphis has been paid, amid growing concern over the potential deportation and eviction of nearly 200 Ghanaian students currently enrolled at the U.S. institution.
Speaking at a press conference in Accra on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, the Registrar of the Secretariat, Alex Kwaku Asafo-Agyei, provided assurances that efforts are underway to prevent any negative consequences for the affected students.
“We are on course with the issues regarding the Ghanaian students at the University of Memphis. Ghanaian students will not be deported—I give you that assurance,” Asafo-Agyei stated.
He revealed that an additional \$1 million has been secured and is currently being processed for payment. However, he noted that full settlement of the debt is being delayed due to an ongoing audit.
“Because the audit is ongoing, we are not paying all. We owe them \$3.6 million in total, and we have paid \$400,000 so far. We are now processing a \$1 million payment,” Asafo-Agyei explained.
The \$1 million, he said, has already been lodged with the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department and is set to be transferred through the Bank of Ghana to Washington. Once completed, Ghana’s total payment would reach \$1.4 million, leaving a balance of approximately \$2.2 million.
### Students at Risk
The urgency stems from warnings issued by the University of Memphis, which has informed the students that their scholarships could be revoked, they could be evicted from campus housing, and even face deportation if their tuition remains unpaid. The university has set a deadline of **August 9, 2025** for the matter to be resolved.
University President Dr. Bill Hardgrave acknowledged the crisis in an interview with *Action News 5’s Better Memphis* program. “The students are sponsored by the government from Ghana, which has not paid the students’ tuition in some time,” he said.
Dr. Hardgrave suggested the payment delays may be tied to political changes in Ghana following the December 2024 general elections. “I think there was a regime change in Ghana and that affected the budget, but we’re hopeful that gets corrected because we’d love to keep those students on campus,” he added.
# 185 Students in Limbo
A total of **185 Ghanaian students**, most of whom are studying science, engineering, and business, remain at risk of losing their scholarships and academic futures if the government does not complete the payments in time.
In the meantime, the university has urged private donations to support the affected students through the **Gary Shorb International Student Support Fund**.
As the August deadline approaches, the students’ academic futures—and their legal status in the United States—hang in the balance. The Ghanaian government is under mounting pressure to urgently clear the remaining \$2.2 million in arrears and safeguard the education and welfare of its scholars abroad.
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