The Ghana Scholarship Authority has defended its decision to award scholarships to Ghanaian twins to study in Canada, insisting the beneficiaries met all eligibility requirements under its established policy.

The awards have sparked public debate over the criteria used by the authority, with critics questioning whether government scholarships should be reserved only for needy but brilliant students.

Responding in a Facebook post, the Ghana Scholarship Authority Registrar Alex Kwaku Asafo-Agyei said the twins are Ghanaian citizens and were awarded the scholarships in line with the authority’s approved framework.

He dismissed claims that government scholarships are exclusively for financially disadvantaged students, explaining that the authority operates a three-tier scholarship system.

The categories are:

-Financial Need (Needy but Brilliant);
-National Priority, for programmes critical to Ghana’s development; and
-Merit-Based, which is open to qualified Ghanaian students who meet the required academic standards, regardless of their financial background.

Mr Asafo-Agyei said it is therefore wrong to suggest that beneficiaries outside the “needy but brilliant” category are undeserving.

He disclosed that of the 5,000 local scholarships allocated for the 2026 cycle, 2,000 have been reserved for the needy but brilliant category, with beneficiaries selected by an independent committee to ensure transparency and fairness.

According to him, scholarship awards are based on clearly defined policy categories, not a single eligibility criterion.

His comments come amid growing scrutiny of scholarship awards, including those approved under the previous administration.

However, the authority maintains that the scholarships awarded to the twins complied fully with its established policy and that the beneficiaries satisfied all applicable requirements.