Today, 5th June 2024, the State Minister for Higher Education, Hon. Dr. John Chrysostom Muyingo, has officially announced the list of successful beneficiaries of the Student Loan Scheme for the 2023/24 academic year.
The announcement follows the Loan Award Report presented by Eng. Dr. Charles Wana-Etyem, Chairperson of the Governance Board.
According to the report, a total of 6,225 applications were received for the academic year 2023/24, a significant increase from the 3,089 applications received in the previous year, marking a 50.368% rise.
Out of these, 1,912 applicants (78%) were deemed eligible for the scheme, with 1,854 (77%) being male and 563 (23%) female. Utilizing the allocated budget of UGX 5.2 billion, the Board successfully awarded financial support to 1,100 applicants. Among these, 418 (67%) are male and 207 (33%) are female.
Breaking down the statistics, 518 (83%) of the beneficiaries are undergraduate degree students, while 107 (17%) are pursuing undergraduate diplomas. Eng. Dr. Wana-Etyem attributed the lower number of diploma applicants to delays in student admissions by the Joint Admissions Board.
Executive Director of the Higher Education Students Financing Board (HESFB), Mr. Michael Wanyama, highlighted the Board’s continued affirmative action program, which includes a 7-point advantage for female applicants and persons with disabilities.
This year, 23 persons with disabilities were selected to study various science and humanities programs.
In his address, Hon. Dr. Muyingo emphasized the necessity for increased funding to meet the rising demand for student loans. He assured the Board of the Ministry’s commitment to securing additional funds from the Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development and garnering support from Parliament.
The full list of beneficiaries is available for download;
