By Felix Oketcho
Are you facing financial challenges, Student loan scheme is here for grabs to further your education career.
Government says shs 5.2billion is available in form of loans to support 1,100 learners in the Academic Year 2023/24.
According to official statement the beneficiaries in the 10th cohort include 207 (33 percent) females with 518 (83 percent) of the 1,100 successful applicants on undergraduate degree programmes, while 107 (17 percent) are studying diploma programmes.
Announcing the beneficiaries to media fraternity in Kampala, State Minister for Higher Education, Dr John Chrysostom Muyingo, urged parents to grab tge opportunity immediately but admitted that the demand for student loans has surpassed the available resources.
“The board has only Shs5.2 billion for the students loan scheme this financial year. As obligation of Nrm government, we pledge to support and finance the scheme to benefit more disadvantaged students across the country going forward,” Muyingo said.
Eng Dr Charles Wana-Etyem, Loan Scheme Award Chairperson, the Board received 6,225 loan applicants compared to the 3,089 in the Academic Year 2022/23.
Of the 6,225 applications, only 1,912 (78 percent) were eligible for the scheme. Of these 1,854 (77 percent) are male while 563 (23 percent) were female.
Minister Miyingo assured the board of more funding to the scheme.
“We recognise that there is need for more funding to capitalize the Board as the current demand for student loans has certainly surpassed the available resources,” he said.
“My Ministry will seek audience with our counterparts at the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development and colleagues in Parliament for increased funding for the Board.”
The minister noted that a total of 74 districts had all their applicants successful that saw most applicants from Northern Region leading in the total awards.
The Executive Director, HESFB, Michael Wanyama, said 23 Persons with Disabilities (PWD) were selected to study various programmes in sciences and humanity programmes.
The Students Loan Scheme is a proactive government intervention to assist financially constrained students pursue education.
The introduction of the Student Loan Scheme has opened doors for underprivileged learners to access higher education at both undergraduate degree and diploma levels.
