Parliament has approved the Ghana Scholarship Authority Bill, 2025 — a landmark legislation expected to overhaul decades of opaque scholarship administration and usher in a stricter, fairer, and corruption-free system.
The bill seeks to establish the Ghana Scholarships Authority, a statutory body mandated to regulate, coordinate, and administer all government scholarships in a transparent, accountable, and equitable manner. When assented to by the President, the new law will replace the existing Ghana Scholarships Secretariat, which has operated without a legal framework since its creation in 1960.
A Major Step Against Patronage and Political Influence
According to the provisions of the bill, the new Authority will be required to introduce clear eligibility criteria, enforce compliance, and ensure that scholarships are awarded based strictly on merit, need, and fairness—not political connections.
The Authority is also mandated to:
- Ensure gender equity in scholarship awards
- Publish full details of applicants and beneficiaries for public scrutiny
- Award foreign scholarships only for programmes unavailable locally
- Develop transparent application procedures accessible to all Ghanaians
- Decentralise scholarship administration to districts to prevent concentration of power in Accra
- Promote accountability in the use of public education funds
The reforms are aimed at eliminating longstanding issues such as political patronage, cronyism, nepotism, and irregularities that have plagued scholarship awards for years.
Fairness and Accessibility at the Centre of Reforms
Moving the motion for passage, Minister of Education Haruna Iddrisu described the bill as a “transformational framework” that would finally make scholarships accessible to students who genuinely need financial support.
He noted that the new Authority would eliminate favouritism, remove political interference, and protect public funds from misuse.
“I believe that the establishment of the Ghana Scholarship Authority will streamline the administration of scholarships and make it accessible to students from disadvantaged backgrounds,”
— Haruna Iddrisu, Minister of Education
He added that transparent guidelines, strict oversight mechanisms, and regular reporting requirements would help restore public confidence in government-sponsored scholarships.
Decades of Challenges Under the Secretariat
The Ghana Scholarships Secretariat, created in 1960 by presidential fiat, has for years operated without a legal framework — relying instead on internal conventions and administrative decisions. This, lawmakers noted, created inconsistencies, abuses, and even legal disputes surrounding scholarship allocation.
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Key challenges identified included:
- Lack of legislation guiding scholarship administration
- Multiple state institutions awarding scholarships independently, weakening coordination
- Limited oversight and accountability structures
- Inability to report accurately on how public scholarship funds were distributed
- Perceived unfairness and political bias in beneficiary selection
Lawmakers argued that these gaps undermined the Secretariat’s efficiency and contributed to inequitable scholarship distribution, prompting government to overhaul the system entirely.
A New Scholarship Regime Ahead
The bill forms part of the government’s broader commitment—outlined in its manifesto—to clean up scholarship administration, prevent the misuse of public funds, and promote educational fairness.
If signed into law, the Ghana Scholarships Authority Act will lead to a fully aligned national scholarship system where:
- All public scholarship awards are reported through one central body
- Merit and need are prioritised over political connections
- Citizens can access transparent information on scholarship opportunities
- District-level participation ensures broader inclusion
- Corruption risks are drastically reduced
The bill’s passage marks the beginning of a new scholarship regime aimed at promoting integrity, fairness, and equal opportunity for Ghanaian students at all levels.
