By Olivia Nabaggala
11th Sept 2024
A total of 1,838 students have been shortlisted to benefit from the Students’ loan scheme for this academic year 2024/2025.
The beneficiaries have been selected by the Higher Education Students Financing Board (HESFB) from a total of 6,661 students who had applied this academic year 2024/25 in an exercise that began on 10th June to 31st July 2024.
In a press briefing at the Uganda Media Centre on Wednesday the HESFB Executive Director, CPA Michael Wanyama said that at least a sum of Shs7.25bn will be spent on the following students who have already registered and admitted in the 25 universities and other tertiary institutions across the country including the University of Kisubi that recently received a charter.
He also revealed that they have increased the number of girls benefiting from this loan from 317 in 2023/2024 to 790 for the 2024/2025 academic year that is basically due to an increased uptake of science courses by female students.
Out of the 1,838 students selected, 1,048 are males while 790 are females and of these 1,372 are going for undergraduate degrees and 466 for diploma courses.
Wanyama explains that since the inception of this loan scheme in 2014, 16,439 students have benefited from it and they have so far recovered Shs2bn and over 60 students have fully paid back their loans.
The State Minister for Higher Education, Dr. John Chrysostom Muyingo emphasized that all the beneficiaries should have it in mind that this money should be paid back so that they create a revolving fund for other students who are financially struggling to benefit.
He applauded the increasing number of girls applying for this loan from 20% to now 43% saying that this a good gesture, hence advising them to study harder since the government does not continue funding those with retakes.
End
