The Ghana Scholarships Authority (GSA) says the government is taking steps to safeguard its scholarship partnership with the University of Memphis, insisting that the agreement remains in force despite reports that it has been terminated over unpaid tuition fees.
The Acting Executive Director of the GSA, Alex Kwaku Asafo-Agyei, said the Ministry of Finance released $500,000 to the University of Memphis on August 26, 2026, as part-payment of the government’s outstanding financial obligations to the institution.
He said the payment was made following advice from the GSA, while discussions are ongoing with the Ministry of Finance to secure the remaining budgetary allocation needed to settle the outstanding debt.
The Authority is also engaging the University of Memphis on a sustainable payment arrangement aimed at resolving the financial challenges and ensuring the continuation of the scholarship programme.
The development follows reports suggesting that the University of Memphis had terminated its scholarship arrangement with Ghana over more than $4 million in unpaid tuition obligations.
However, Asafo-Agyei said the GSA had not received any formal or informal communication from the university indicating that the partnership had been terminated.
According to him, the scholarship agreement, which was signed in April 2023, remains valid until 2028 unless either Ghana or the University of Memphis formally activates the termination clause.
Under the terms of the agreement, either party seeking to end the partnership is required to give the other 90 days’ prior written notice.
“As we speak, no official or unofficial notice of termination has been served on the GSA, neither have there been any discussions with the Authority that remotely suggest that the agreement has been terminated or is being terminated,” Asafo-Agyei said.
The Acting Executive Director, who is currently in the United States for a scheduled engagement with officials of the University of Memphis, said discussions would focus on developing a clear roadmap to address the outstanding financial obligations.
He said the government’s objective was to work with the university and relevant state institutions to resolve the financial challenges and preserve the scholarship partnership.
The GSA has therefore disputed claims that the University of Memphis has terminated the agreement, maintaining that no formal process has been initiated to bring the partnership to an end.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
