Ghana Study Abroad Scholarships

Study in the Gold Coast region of Africa

Once held by the British, the West African nation of Ghana achieved independence in 1957 and has had a stable government for two decades, increasing its popularity as a destination for students from other countries. Ghana has a beautiful coastline on the Gulf of Guinea, with valuable natural resources like gold and diamonds, and it contains the world’s largest manmade lake (Lake Volta, created by a dam).

Ghana has been settled, at least in part, since the Bronze Age, and has a fascinating history of complex government and sophisticated art, preserving a strong national identity even under British dominion.

Government Scholarships

West African Research Association

The West African Research Association (WARA) offers fellowships funded by the State Department to graduate students who want to study in West African nations like Ghana. The WARA Pre-Doctoral Fellowship pays for a summer of research in West Africa, for one of two purposes: readying a doctoral project, or completing a masters degree. Those who have not yet completed dissertations receive preference, and it is recommended that you know an African language spoken in the area where you will work.

The WARA Post-Doctoral Fellowship is very similar, but is reserved for those with doctorates and supports different types of research. You can use this fellowship to finish old research, begin a new study, or study a subject in order to improve your teaching. Both fellowships include a maximum of $2,500 for travel and $3,500 for living expenses.

Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program

The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program, also funded by the State Department, prefers to send students to nontraditional locations like Ghana for foreign study. The Gilman scholarships were designed to support students who have historically been less likely to study abroad, those who are:

• Attending community colleges
• Financially needy
• Studying the sciences, including engineering
• Disabled, or
• Minorities.

There are 2,300 Gilmans awarded every year, each worth as much as $5,000.

Boren Awards

The Boren Awards program, which is part of the National Security Education Program (NSEP), includes both scholarships for undergraduates and fellowships for graduate students. Ghana is listed as a country choice for which Boren applicants receive preference, meaning it has been designated as a location that is important to the nation’s international security effort.

All Boren scholars study a foreign language spoken in the country selected for study, and students traveling to Ghana may be interested in a language called Akan (also known as Twi) and its dialects Fante, Asante, and Akuapem, all of which belong to Ghana’s foremost ethnic group of the same name. Boren scholarships bring as much as $20,000, while the fellowships’ maximum amount is $30,000.

Scholarships From Study Abroad Organizations

School for International Training

The School for International Training (SIT) is a leading study abroad organization that usually offers a program in Ghana, which changes every few years. The current course is titled “Ghana: Social Transformation and Cultural Expression,” and here are some of the SIT scholarships you can use to defray your costs:

• The SIT Fund scholarships are distributed based on financial need.
• The HBCU Scholarships go to participants who attend one of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
• The Sally Bragg Baker Scholarship looks for a female student going abroad for a semester who has shown a desire to achieve world peace.

Scholarships From Colleges

New York University and State University of New York at Brockport

New York University (NYU) has established a foreign study program called NYU Accra, located in Ghana’s capital. It includes a chance for an internship at a local business or a non-governmental organization, and your NYU scholarships will travel with you and help you pay for the course.

The State University of New York (SUNY) at Brockport also offers a study abroad program in Accra, at the University of Ghana, and permits you to use your existing financial aid to spend time there. SUNY specifies that you must have adequate health care coverage in order to participate.

University Studies Abroad Consortium

The University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC) is a group of thirty-three American schools that have combined to create and staff study abroad programs in foreign countries, including Ghana. There are scholarships available from both USAC and its member universities, and here are a few of those:

• The USAC General Scholarship for Non-Consortium Students is reserved for students who participate in a USAC program but do not attend a member school.
• The Johnetta Cross Brazzell Study Abroad Scholarship can be obtained through the University of Arkansas. It supports underrepresented students and averages between $1,00 and $1,200.
• The College of Global Studies at Arcadia University hands out scholarships based on financial need in an effort to send students abroad who normally could not afford a course of foreign study. Awards vary between $250 and $2,500, depending on individual finances and length of planned studies.