Beneficiaries of Student Loan Scheme at Makerere University
The Higher Education Students’ Financing Board will initially offer loans to students pursuing both sciences and non sciences in local public and private chartered universities pursuing courses considered to be critical to national development and covering human capital gap.
Over the following years the loans shall be extended in the ratio of 3:2 Humanities to Science programmes. The programs to be awarded loans will be decided upon by the Board with the approval of the Minister. – See more at:
The Scheme is for Ugandan students seeking to pursue higher educa-tion in an accredited institution of higher learning recognized by the National Council for Higher Education and also pursuing an accredited programme. The applicant will have been admitted to an accredited Higher Education Institution. The applicant will be required to make a written application to the higher Education Students’ Financing Board by filling in a required form and submit it within a specified timeframe.
The Higher Education Students’ Financing Act, 2014
The Higher Education Students’ Financing Bill, 2013 was passed by Parliament in December,2013, assented into Law by H.E the President on February 2,2014 and gazzeted on February 28, 2014 into an Act of law.
Introduction
The Uganda Higher Education Students’ Financing Board (HESFB) is a fund intended to provide financing to Ugandan students who have qualified for higher education in recognized institutions of higher learning but are unable to support themselves financially.
The 1995 Constitution provides for protection and promotion of fundamental human rights and freedoms particularly under Chapter 4. Article 30 provides that all persons have a right to education and this is expounded in the preamble to the Constitution which provides for the National Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy that directs the State to take appropriate measures to afford every Ugandan citizen equal opportunities to attain the highest educational standard possible.
The essence of the Higher Education Students’ Financing Board is to support the sector policy objective of increasing access to quality education in view of the large number of brilliant but needy students who are not among the 4,000 students sponsored by government and can-not raise fees for self sponsorship. In this regard, the Ministry of Education & Sports through the Higher Education Students’ Financing Act, 2014 established the Board to implement the objects of the Act on its behalf which is in line with the education sector policy objective.
Initially the loan amount is put at a capping of a weighted average Unit cost of UGx. 4 Million to cater for the pedagogical component (tuition fees, re-search fees, functional fees, aids & appliances for persons with disabilities) while the non pedagogical component such as accommodation, meals, transport costs etc will be cost shared by the students.