Ghanaian students seeking higher education opportunities in the United States have been encouraged to look beyond academic scholarships and explore other forms of financial assistance, including athletic scholarships.

The advice comes as about 30 accredited U.S. colleges and universities prepare to participate in an EducationUSA college fair in Ghana, allowing prospective students to engage directly with university representatives on admissions, tuition, scholarships, testing and student visa requirements.

Speaking on Joy FM's Super Morning Show on Wednesday, September 23, Donya Eldridge, Education and Cultural Attaché, said many Ghanaian students tend to focus heavily on academic scholarships and may overlook other opportunities available at U.S. institutions.

“One thing that I find here, since my tenure, is that many Ghanaians only look at the academic scholarship,” Ms Eldridge said.

“There are also athletic scholarships. So ask about those.”

She encouraged students interested in sports such as football and tennis to specifically ask participating universities whether they offer athletic scholarships and what requirements applicants must meet.

According to Eldridge, the College Fair provides an opportunity for students to have direct conversations with university representatives and learn about the financial support available at individual institutions.

Ms Eldridge said the cost of studying in the United States varies from one institution to another and urged prospective students to obtain specific information from the universities they are considering.

“The cost is going to vary depending on the university,” she said.

She said students attending the fair should discuss both academic programmes and their associated costs with university representatives.

“This is also the benefit of coming to the College Fair. Talk to the university and see what types of study programmes they offer. And then also ask how much they cost,” she said.

The organisers said the variation in tuition and financial aid means students should not rely on general assumptions about the cost of studying in the United States.

Instead, they are encouraged to ask individual universities about tuition, scholarships, financial aid and other expenses.

Ms Eldridge also sought to dispel the perception that students must have perfect test scores or completely prepared applications before attending the college fair.

“A lot of the misconception is that you have to come properly prepared, that you need to show up with the best test scores, and that's not necessarily the case,” she said.

“What you want to bring is a question. Bring all the questions that you're not able to get answered.”

She said students should take advantage of the presence of university representatives to ask difficult questions about financial aid, costs, admissions and other aspects of studying in the United States.

The fair is expected to include representatives from institutions such as Harvard University, Tufts University, Eastern University, Wright State University and Virginia Commonwealth University.

ETS, an organisation involved in educational testing, will also be present to answer questions concerning testing.

Check out the list of Universities

EducationUSA Ghana College Fair 2026
USG Higher Education Institutional Representatives

1. Bryant University
2. Calvin University
3. Canisius University
4. Duquesne University
5. East Carolina University
6. Goucher College
7. Harvard University
8. Hult International Business School 
9. Indiana University Indianapolis
10. James Madison University 
11. Lewis University
12. Middle Tennessee State University
13. North American University
14. Northeastern University
15. Park University
16. Rice University
17. Rowan University
18. Saint Louis University
19. Seattle Colleges: North, Central, South
20. Temple University
21. Tufts University
22. University of Bridgeport
23. University of Massachusetts – Lowell
24. University of Texas at Dallas
25. University of Vermont
26. Virginia Commonwealth University