Government and the Scholarship Secretariat have been given up to January 15, 2017 to effect for the payment of the 2016/2017 bursary and thesis grants for the Graduate Students Association of Ghana (GRSAG).

In a statement signed by Jacob Apibilla Ayembilla, the National President of GRASAG, the Association said it had no prior knowledge about the plan to change the mode of payment of their grants despite holding various meetings with the scholarship secretariat on other subjects.

The statement read “We are reliably informed by the Secretariat that all beneficiary institutions should collate bank account details of recommended applicants to the Secretariat for direct payment of the Thesis and Bursary Grants to be effected. Though the new mode of payment is ideal, we strongly believe it will only further delay the monies already in arrears. This is not the right time for this to and fro movement of the 2016/2017 bursary and thesis grant.’’

“GRASAG, as a major stakeholder, was not consulted before the sudden change in the mode of payment; which we believe is not congenial to the graduate student, at this material moment. The National Executive Committee (NEC) on several occasions met with the Registrar and the entire management team of the Scholarships Secretariat, and this mode of payment never came up in our discussions, we therefore don’t agree,” it said.

“We are by this release giving the government and the Secretariat up to Monday, 15th of January 2018, to pay all recommended applicants. Graduate students have not been treated fairly, and we need to be treated with utmost respect.”