Challenges Faced by International Students in Public Universities in Ghana

Year 2025, Volume: 6 Issue: 1, 18 - 36, 30.06.2025

Rita Holm Adzovie , Frank Lamadoku Attila , Joshua Adebisi Omotosho

https://doi.org/10.55993/hegp.1653550

Abstract

As the number of foreign students enrolling in Ghanaian universities increases, they experience adaptation challenges that affect their academic, socio-cultural, and psychological well-being. The purpose of this research was to identify the challenges that foreign students in Ghanaian universities face during their studies. The study employed a cross-sectional design using the qualitative approach. The data was collected through focus group discussions involving 16 foreign students and a focus group discussion guide. The data was audio recorded and transcribed. The data collected was analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The results showed that foreign students faced challenges such as financial (such as high prices of goods and services), accommodation (e.g., overcrowded hostels), medical (e.g., attentive medical personnel), academic (e.g., differences in curriculum), and emotional challenges (e.g., homesickness and identity confusion). Some implications for counselling were made, such as counsellors to help foreign students budget how to spend their money, regular interaction between the university authorities and landlords to ensure regular maintenance of facilities and good prices, and lastly, for early detection of emotional issues of students like ridicule, anxiety, loneliness, and homesickness, counsellors should advertise their services very well to the foreign students.

Keywords

Accommodation Challenge , Counselling , Emotional Challenge , Financial Challenge , International Students , Medical Challenge

Ethical Statement

The study followed research protocols that validate the use of human subjects and was approved with the reference number CES/ERB/UCC/EDU/U8-14/16 from the Ethical Review Board of the College of Education of the University of Cape Coast.

Supporting Institution

University of Cape Coast, Ghana

Thanks

Acknowledgements The authors express their gratitude to the participants for taking part in the study; we are also thankful to the reviewers for their positive feedback. We further acknowledge the use of ChatGPT 4o in proofreading the manuscript, which helped to identify redundant sentences and correct grammatical errors.

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