The Government has through the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), awarded new scholarships to four thousand, two hundred and seventy-nine (4,279) students schooling in the various universities and colleges in Ghana. The awardees cut across the respective programmes of undergraduate and post graduate studies.
This year’s figure represents an increase of sixty three percent (63%) of successful applicants compared with the two thousand seven hundred and four (2,704) recipients for the year 2022.
The breakdown of the awardees according to type of degrees and programmes are as follows: a total of two thousand nine hundred and fifty-one (2,951) are pursuing diploma or degree programmes whereas one thousand three hundred and twenty-one (1,328) beneficiaries are reading master’s or PhD programmes in the private and public colleges/universities all in Ghana.
Also, one thousand nine hundred and sixty-three (1,963) representing forty six percent (46%) of awardees are studying Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) related programmes.
While two thousand, three hundred and sixteen (2,316) representing fifty 54% of awardees are studying Humanity related programmes.
The Fund, as of Tuesday August 2, 2023, has paid the total sum of Twenty-Five Million, Two Hundred and Seventy-Eight Thousand, and twenty-Nine Cedis, Thirty-Nine Pesewas (GHC 25,278,029.39) of fees allotted to awardees into the accounts of their institutions.
It will be recalled that, in December 2022, GETFund advertised to the general public, inviting prospective applicants to apply for the local scholarships via its online portal created for the receipt of scholarship applications and the management of same. A total of twenty-two thousand (22,000) applicants were successfully submitted. The overwhelming show of interest in the scholarships prompted the Board of Trustees of the Fund to increase the available slots to the current high numbers of 4,279 recipients.
It must be placed on record that as of Tuesday August 2, 2023, about three hundred (300) successful applicants have still NOT accepted the scholarship offers sent to them via their email addresses although efforts have been made to contact them.
Hence, the Fund is unable to process their documentation for further action.