‘We haven't received our stipends for the past 11 months’ — Ghanaian scholarship beneficiaries in Serbia

Ghanaian students in Serbia say their academic progress and mental wellbeing are being negatively impacted due to delays in receiving stipends meant to support them.

For over 11 months now, the students have not received stipends from the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat that are essential to sustain themselves while pursuing their studies abroad.

In an interview with Accra-based Citi News, Abdul Salam Mohammed, a Ghanaian student in Serbia said, "We came in May [2023] and we haven't received our stipends since last year, so it's almost been 11 months. Even though we've had constant engagement with the Secretariat, nothing has been done about it and this has been a challenge for us."

Without the stipends, many students say they are forced to take on low-paying jobs or take out loans just to afford basic necessities like food and transportation to class.

"I arrived in Serbia last year and the main challenge here is with finances. We struggle to cater for many of our needs here and this affects our studies which is the main reason why we’re in this country.

“We borrow money from our country mates and people from other African countries to feed ourselves. Even moving to the main campus for lectures is by bus and if we don’t have money to do that, how do we learn,” revealed another who requested anonymity.

This comes shortly after the Ghanaian students in Hungary also lamented their delayed stipends from the Ghanaian government.

While their host nation has paid their share of the money, the students in Hungary say they have yet to receive anything from the Ghanaian government.

The delayed stipends have created severe financial hardship for Ghanaian students in studying abroad as they rely on the funds to support their academic activities and daily living costs while studying abroad.