Our Scholarships Are Devoid Of Political Considerations – GETFund Administrator
The Administrator of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), Dr. Richard Ampofo Boadu, has debunked claims that the institution grants scholarships based on political affiliations.
According to Dr. Boadu, GETFund scholarships are awarded to applicants on merit with an open and transparent process.
The administrator made these remarks in response to a comment during an open forum discussion under the theme ‘Financing Higher Education in Ghana: Implications for Equity and Sustainability’, organised by the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences (GAAS) in Accra on Wednesday, September 6.
During the programme, an individual from the audience questioned scholarships given to politicians and government officials.
However, Dr. Boadu dispelled the claims, insisting that the educational support is given based on merit.
In February 2020, some ministers in the Akufo-Addo government and other government appointees were listed as beneficiaries of GETFund scholarships, which are meant for needy but brilliant students.
A performance audit report of the Auditor-General on the administration of scholarships by GETFund revealed that former Education Minister Matthew Opoku-Prempeh, former Procurement Minister and Deputy Majority Leader in Parliament Sarah Adwoa Safo, as well as the Executive Secretary of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA), Prince Hamidu Armah, have all benefitted from the scheme.
The Education Minister was listed as studying National and International Security at Harvard University, receiving $12,800 for living expenses and $11,200 for tuition fees.
Procurement Minister Sarah Adwoa Safo was also listed as studying at the Harvard Kennedy School enjoying $12,800 in allowances with $17,004 in tuition fees.
Dr. Armah studied Philosophy in Education at the University of Aberdeen, which came with a benefit of £38,400 for living expenses in addition to £33,000 for tuition fees.
This policy dialogue was part of a series of seven organised by the Academy under the project ‘Motivating Higher Education Reforms in Ghana – Towards Equity and Sustainability’, funded by a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
The project aims to provide a platform for independent individuals and groups to address the challenges facing the higher education sector on an ongoing basis.
At the forum on Wednesday, the GETFund administrator urged tertiary institutions to explore innovative ways to raise funds to complement the government’s support.
He emphasised that government funding alone is insufficient to sustain these institutions, necessitating the exploration of alternative funding sources.
GETFund is a public sector agency with a primary objective to provide finance to supplement educational activities at all levels of education in Ghana.
GETFund supports the delivery of quality education to the citizens of Ghana from the basic to tertiary level through dynamic funding policies aimed at ensuring the equitable provision of essential resources for all levels of education to all segments of the Ghanaian population.