UK graduate route ‘no objection’ letters didn’t cancel scholarship bonds – GSA

The Ghana Scholarships Authority (GSA) has rejected claims that its ongoing Oath of Affirmation and Scholarship Validation Exercise for Ghanaian scholarship beneficiaries in the United Kingdom is imposing new obligations on them. The Authority says the exercise is lawful and is being conducted pursuant to the Ghana Scholarships Authority Act, 2025 (Act 1149), and the Oaths Act, 1972 (NRCD 6), in collaboration with the Ghana High Commission in the United Kingdom. In a statement issued on Monday, August 10, 2026, the GSA said the exercise is aimed at verifying scholarship awards, validating and updating beneficiary records, and reaffirming commitments associated with government sponsorship.

It stressed that the process does not introduce any new condition or requirement to the scholarship programme. The clarification follows concerns raised by executives of the UK PhD Cohort regarding the legal and administrative basis of the exercise. The GSA said every beneficiary accepted a government scholarship subject to a scholarship bond, which includes an undertaking to return to Ghana within two months of completing the approved programme of study.

According to the Authority, the Oath of Affirmation is simply a formal reaffirmation of a commitment beneficiaries had already made under their scholarship bonds. “The Oath of Affirmation does not introduce any additional obligation,” the Authority said. The GSA also dismissed suggestions that the exercise amounts to the retrospective application of new rules.

It said it has not altered, varied or imposed any new terms on existing scholarship bonds, adding that the obligations contained in the bonds remain exactly as agreed to by beneficiaries when their scholarships were accepted. The Authority said the current exercise is solely intended to confirm those existing obligations and ensure that its records are accurate and up to date. The GSA has consequently urged all affected beneficiaries to honour the invitation and participate in the Oath of Affirmation and Scholarship Validation Exercise without delay.

The Ghana Scholarships Authority (GSA) has clarified that Letters of “No Objection” issued to Ghanaian scholarship beneficiaries seeking to use the United Kingdom’s Graduate Route did not waive, cancel or vary their scholarship bonds. The Authority said the letters were issued at the request of individual beneficiaries who sought to undertake post-study professional experience under the applicable two-year Graduate Route visa arrangement. In a statement issued on Monday, August 10, 2026, the GSA explained that the letters were intended to facilitate beneficiaries’ requests to gain additional professional experience after completing their approved programmes of study.

It, however, stressed that the issuance of a “No Objection” letter did not amount to a waiver or cancellation of the obligations contained in the scholarship bonds. According to the Authority, the Graduate Route provides beneficiaries with an opportunity to acquire additional professional skills and experience which could ultimately contribute to Ghana’s human capital development. The GSA said the obligation for beneficiaries to return to Ghana and fulfil their commitments under the scholarship bond therefore remains in force unless it is expressly and lawfully varied or set aside by the competent authority.