Young Lady went from having no money for admission form to bagging full scholarship to study abroad, here is how she did it

Joyce was offered full scholarships under programs designed to support brilliant but financially disadvantaged girls.

However, even with scholarship offers, the initial costs of entering university, admission forms, transportation, accommodation preparation, and study materials,  remained a heavy burden for her family.

Instead of forcing the situation, Joyce made a bold and mature decision. She deferred her admission for one year to work and save enough money to begin her university education properly.

During that year, she worked as a housekeeper and pupil teacher, saving every possible income to purchase admission forms and prepare herself for university life.

After applications and admissions were finalized, UCC offered her admission into a Bachelor of Education program with full funding through CAMFED (Campaign for Female Education), while KNUST offered her Business Administration with full funding through the Mastercard Foundation.

UPSA also granted her admission with a private scholarship. After careful consideration and prayer, Joyce chose the University of Cape Coast,  a decision she later described as life-changing.

At UCC, Joyce pursued Accounting and maintained exceptional academic performance throughout her studies. Her discipline and consistency paid off as she graduated with First Class Honours, earning a CGPA of 3.9.

Her outstanding performance later earned her a full scholarship from the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana, where she successfully passed all professional examinations.

For Joyce, graduation was deeply emotional. Seeing the pride and joy in her parents’ eyes made every struggle worthwhile. She had become proof that children from rural communities can rise beyond their circumstances.

While pursuing academic excellence, Joyce also began building impact. In her final year at UCC, despite limited resources, she founded the JARAB Foundation, an organization focused on mentoring and supporting rural children in Ghana to pursue education and dream beyond their limitations.

Remarkably, she funded many of the foundation’s early projects using her own scholarship stipend.

Joyce’s academic achievements, combined with her humanitarian efforts, eventually attracted global opportunities. She secured a fully funded master’s scholarship to study International Education Policy at the University of Maryland, USA.

Beyond her studies, she now serves on the Graduate Student Advisory Board and also contributes to educational initiatives across Africa through advisory roles. Today, Joyce continues to pay forward the opportunities she received.

Through partnerships with organizations such as CAMFED, Plan International Ghana, and PPAG, she works to promote girls’ education, mentorship, menstrual health education, and equal access to schooling in rural communities.

Her mission is to make education not be presented as a priviledge reserved for a few but a right available to every child.

Joyce Arthur’s journey from struggling to afford admission forms to becoming an international scholar and advocate shows that determination, resilience, and compassion can rewrite one’s story.