It followed assistance and guidance they received from Education USA advisers who provided information about available universities.

The US Ambassador to Ghana, Virginia Palmer, who made this known, said Ghana had the largest number of students travelling to the US to study from Africa and the 14th largest number from across the world at the graduate level.

She was speaking at the opening of the 2024 Education USA College Fair organised by the US Embassy in Accra last Friday.

The two-day event for undergraduate and postgraduate students provides a platform for prospective students to learn about US universities and colleges and get expert guidance on the path to higher education in the country.

It, among other things, attracted students from some second-cycle institutions and international schools in the country.

Research

The 2024 fair, she stated, was bigger with 69 universities compared to the 45 last year.

Also, she stated that the US wanted more Africans, particularly Ghanaian students, to pursue further studies in the US.

The embassy, she said, had the Education USA Adviser programme  under which the officers in charge could help students to do some of the research about the available universities.

She said there were about 1000 American universities with different specialities in various geographic areas and "Ghanaian students would find one that suits them best".

The ambassador said there was a diverse array of funding, scholarships and bursaries available, adding that some were from private sources and universities.

"So the Education USA Advisers can help direct students like that," she said.

Visas

Ms Palmer said last year, the embassy held more than 10,000 visa application interviews and that it had increased the staff at the visa section by more than 50 per cent.

She explained that the backlog of visa applicants was the function of COVID-19 and a global problem.

"It is also a by-product of how strong the relationship is. We really want Ghanaian visitors and students to come to the US," she said.

Prospective students

For his part, the Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, wished the participants of the fair the very best and encouraged them to explore scholarship opportunities and apply to as many foundations that offer scholarships as possible.

He expressed the hope that the relationship developed with the embassy would inure to the benefit of participants and consequently, applicants.

“With the relationship we have developed with the embassy, I am very hopeful that you would get the opportunity to secure the visas and go to those schools that you yearn to go to," the minister stated, adding that America was one of the greatest nations to have higher education.

He expressed the hope that Ghanaians who studied in the US would return to Ghana to contribute their quota to national development.

Background

Education USA Accra provides accurate, current and comprehensive guidance on all accredited institutions of higher learning in the US.

It advises students through group sessions, high school and university outreach visits, fairs, individual consultations, e-mail, phone, mass messaging and social media.