The Graduate Students Association of Ghana (GRASAG) has given the government a one-week ultimatum to pay them their research support grants commonly known as bursaries.
At a press briefing on Wednesday, April 10, 2024, the President of the University of Ghana Chapter for GRASAG, Claudius Angsongna, highlighted the severe impact of the delay of the research support grants on graduate students.
According to the association, if the government does not release the grants immediately, a protest will be held to demand their bursaries.
“We wish to express our profound dissatisfaction with the persistent delays in the disbursement of research grants by the Scholarship Secretariat. Despite the repeated assurances, the crucial financial assistance required for our research endeavours remains elusive.
“For approximately three years now, GRASAG members have been deprived of any governmental support to conduct research. We implore the director of the Scholarship Secretariat to promptly address the issue to fulfil the obligations of graduate students. Graduate students are neglected, and we’re suffering,’ he lamented.
He added, “We call on the government to increase the funding for graduate students and ensure that we’re adequately resourced. We demand a response from the government within a week. In the absence of that, we will organize nationwide demonstrations and further press conferences to highlight our grievances.”
It will be recalled that earlier this year, the association expressed concerns over the non-payment of research support grants.
The association’s leadership noted that the grants play a pivotal role in supporting graduate students in their research endeavours, contributing significantly to the advancement of knowledge and overall academic development.
However, over the past two years, the disbursement of these funds has been delayed, causing considerable hardship for numerous graduate students and the entire academic community.