Uganda’s Ministry of Education and Sports is in the advanced stages of developing a new Higher Education Policy that officials hope will push university enrollment from its current 6.5 percent up to 9 percent, the continental target for Africa.
Mr John Ochira Pakony, Assistant Commissioner for University Education and Training at the Ministry, said on 1st August that the policy’s central feature is giving full legal backing to the Higher Education Access Certificate (HEAC), a pathway currently used to bridge students who narrowly missed direct university entry. He said the policy is nearing the end of consultations before it heads to Cabinet for approval and eventual implementation.
Pakony noted that the reform will require amending the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act 2001, the law currently governing higher education in the country, but expressed confidence that the changes will help address Uganda’s persistently low enrollment rate.
What HEAC Actually Does
HEAC is a one-year bridging programme for students who sat their Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) exams but fell short of the two Principal Passes required to pursue a degree. Once the new policy is approved, HEAC would formally join direct entry and mature entry as a recognised pathway into university.
Pakony made these remarks at the Uganda Petroleum Institute, Kigumba, during a ceremony where the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) Uganda awarded bursaries to 818 young people to access higher education under the FAWE/Mastercard Foundation Higher Education Access Programme (HEAP).
Of the 818 beneficiaries selected from 65 districts out of 9,182 applicants, 618 will join universities through HEAC, while the rest will proceed to Technical and Vocational Education Institutes (TVETs). This cohort marks the final group under phase two of HEAP, which runs from 2024 to 2030 and is expected to benefit 2,000 participants overall. Phase two builds on phase one, which supported 334 participants between 2017 and 2023.
FAWE Uganda Executive Director Susan Opok Tumusiime said the HEAC pathway strengthens students’ foundational academic skills and subject-specific preparation well enough that they can compete favourably in degree programmes without needing to repeat A-Level. She noted that HEAC has already been accredited as an additional university entry pathway by the National Council for Higher Education and the Ministry, giving students from under-resourced schools a genuine second chance, and confirmed that government has already gazetted the programme accordingly. She also urged government to prioritise investment in education as a key driver of youth development.
State Minister for Primary Education Phyllis Chemutai, who officiated at the handover, reaffirmed government’s commitment to programmes widening access to higher education for disadvantaged learners.
“As part of our policy framework, we are prioritising STEM education, especially the increase of girls’ participation in STEM,” she said.
FAWE Uganda Board Chairperson Margaret Mogen also pledged the organisation’s continued support toward helping young men and women from marginalised families access higher education.
