The Higher Education Students’ Financing Board (HESFB) has set aside Shs6billion to support 1500 new cohort of student loan beneficiaries and at least 100 continuing students in the academic year 2021/22.
This was revealed by Michael Wanyama, the Executive Director while speaking to journalists in Kampala.
“I therefore announce to all prospective applicants that the Board is now open for applications for the 8th Cohort of the study loans under the Students’ Loan Scheme from eligible Ugandan students,” he said.
HESFB since 2014 has been implementing the Students’ Loan Scheme, where highly qualified Ugandan students who may not afford Higher Education are offered Student Loans in a bid to increase access to Higher Education.
Wanyama said that the board has so far awarded loans to a total of 11,187 beneficiaries (9,632 undergraduate degrees and 1,555 undergraduate diplomas) beneficiaries to study 130-degree programmes and 76 undergraduate diploma courses mainly in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programmes.
“These are programmes which have been identified in the subsequent National Development Plans as essential for National development and critical in filling the current human resources gaps in the country,” he said.
He said that persons with disabilities can access loans to pursue any accredited programme of their choice including business and humanities programmes under affirmative action.
These courses are currently tenable at 22 chartered universities both public and private and 36 other tertiary institutions in Uganda.
The loan application process is solely online and is available through their website.