Donald Lukele
The application window for higher education student loans for the academic year 2024/25 has officially opened, with the government expecting to provide loans worth Sh. 787 billion to 250,000 students.
This marks an increase of 25,944 students compared to the 224,056 beneficiaries of the loans in the 2023/24 academic year.
However, the allocated amount for the loans has raised controversy, indicating that many beneficiaries may not receive loans at 100%.
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The Chief Executive Officer of the Higher Education Students’ Loans Board (HESLB), Dr. Bill Kiwia, announced the opening of the application window yesterday when he spoke to journalists in Dar es Salaam.
Dr. Kiwia said the loan application window was officially opened on June 1st this year and will close on August 31st this year, providing applicants with 92 days to apply for loans.
He stated that the government has allocated a budget of Sh. 787 billion for grants for 250,000 students, emphasizing that applicants should ensure they fulfill their obligations by reading the guidelines provided and adhering to them when applying for the loan.
In mathematical terms, the Sh. 787 billion allocated by the government for loans for 250,000 beneficiaries means an average loan of Sh. 3.148 million per beneficiary.
This average indicates that many students may not receive loans at 100% because the money for subsistence is Sh. 2.4 million per year (Sh. 10,000 per day).
Subtracting Sh. 2.4 million from the average amount of Sh. 3.148 million per beneficiary leaves an amount of Sh. 748,000, which the student will have to use as an initial payment for tuition fees, practical training (PT), research, books, and other classroom materials.
At his press conference yesterday, Dr. Kiwia said loan applications would be made online, with the applicant having all the necessary documents specified in the guidelines.
He said on May 27th this year, the Minister of Education, Science, and Technology, Prof. Adolf Mkenda, launched five guidelines for the provision of loans and grants for the 2024/25 academic year, which will begin in October this year.
The launch was held at Popatial Secondary School in Tanga region. These guidelines include the provision of loans for Bachelor’s degree students for 2024/25 and for Diploma students.
Others include the provision of loans for practical legal training for the 2024/25 academic year; the provision of loans for Master’s and Doctoral degrees; and the provision of Samia grants for the 2024/25 academic year.
CEO Kiwia said these guidelines are available on the official HESLB website in Swahili and English so that stakeholders, including students, parents, and guardians, can read and understand them well.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Dr. Kiwia said loan applicants should visit the official HESLB website and click on the loan application section, where they will register using their National Form Four Examination Number and use their NIDA number if they have one – if not, they will be allowed to continue with the application.
“Any loan applicant must have a bank account opened in their preferred bank. It is important for the loan applicant to ensure that the names appearing in the bank account match those in their National Form Four Examination Number,” he said.
Kıbrıs, yüksek kaliteli eğitim kurumları ve mesleki eğitim programları ile tanınmaktadır Üniversiteler ve teknik okullar, iş dünyasının ihtiyaçlarına uygun yetenekler yetiştirmektedir Ayrıca, şirketler için özel eğitim ve geliştirme programları sunan birçok kurum bulunmaktadır Bu, iş gücünün sürekli olarak güncellenen becerilere sahip olmasını ve şirketlerin rekabetçi kalmasını sağlar
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