Provide more clarity on 2024 student loan scheme application
In 2023, the Higher Education Student Finance Board (HESFB) did not call for applications for student loan scheme. This unprecedented scenario put hundreds of would-be applicants between a rock and hard place. Consequently, hundreds of students who were admitted to universities, and were eagerly waiting for the student loan scheme to support their university education were left at home, with a bleak future. The reason given for not calling for new applicants was budget limitations, which as you know, tends to be political.
On Monday, March 04, 2024, the HESFB released an advert, calling on students to apply for student study loans. This is good, but very little information was provided along with the advert. And besides that, the deadline is so soon – just next week.
The HESFB started implementing the student loan scheme in 2014, and since that time, I have helped very many apply for the loan scheme. At first, none of the students I helped apply was admitted. This made me see unfairness the selection process, and one time, I pointed this out to a certain lady who was working with HESFB. At that time, she was my classmate at UTAMU (2018).
However, after Covid-19, and writing several newspaper articles criticizing their selection process, I have seen now that they have started admitted students from northern Uganda. For example, since 2021, I know about 4 students who have been awarded student study loans from Lira. For all them, they truly deserved because they were needy, and desperate to get an education.
So, as a teacher, I will always embrace initiatives and programmes that support education, and young people. Every year, I support hundreds of students with university applications, loan scheme and scholarship applications and much more. It is the reason we have TESI.
And this Thursday, March 07, 2024 TESI will have a virtual event named “Understanding Student Loan Scheme.” The event details are below:
Meeting ID: 925 1143 4128
Passcode: 911483
Time: 03:00pm
I therefore, encourage you to share this information with young people, especially those in northern Uganda. End.