Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery graduates celebrate during Makerere University’s 74th graduation ceremony on January 29, 2024. Needy students, who were left stranded following the suspension of the students’ loans scheme, can breathe a sigh of relief following the government’s decision to resume the programme. PHOTO | FRANK BAGUMA
The government has awarded study loans to 1,838 needy students to pursue various science, technology, engineering, and mathematics courses at institutions of higher learning for this academic year.
Mr Michael Wanyama, the executive director of Higher Education Students Financing Board, issued the list of beneficiaries at the Uganda Media Centre on Tuesday.
He said 6,661 students applied for the loans and 3,781 qualified, but only 1,838 students were awarded.
Mr Wanyama said of the 1,838 students awarded, 1,048 (57 percent) are male and 790 (43 percent) female.
"A total of 1,838 students have been recommended for the award of study loans. Of these, 1,372 (74.6 percent) will pursue undergraduate degree programmes, while 466 (25.4 percent) will pursue diploma programmes," Mr Wanyama said.
"The available financial resource of Shs7.25b was only sufficient to support 1,838 applicants out of the 3,781 eligible ones, leaving out 1,945 applicants unfunded, but representing a success rate of 48.6 percent," he said.
Mr Wanyama said there was a sharp increase in the number of females opting for science courses. He also said the board has registered the highest number of female beneficiaries in the 11 years since the loan programme was put in place.
Mr Wanyama said the board had previously failed to meet the 30 percent target for affirmative action for women.
"It should be noted that this time, female applicants made up 43%, a significant improvement over the previous year's mere 26 percent," Mr Wanyama said.
He also said the loans have been allocated to the neediest students, in line with the programme goals.
Females embrace sciences
Mr John Chrysostom Muyingo, the State minister for Higher Education, commended female students for embracing science subjects. He said male outnumbered their female counterparts in previous years.
"This is the highest percentage of successful female candidates since the scheme's inception. I am happy to note that the Board has exceeded the 30% affirmative action for female students. I encourage girls to pursue sciences and tap into the opportunities offered by government loans," Mr Muyingo said.
A total of 1,574 students were awarded loans to pursue undergraduate degrees and diplomas at 25 of the 26 universities participating in the scheme
Kampala International University (KIU) leads with the most admitted students (205), followed by Kyambogo (150), Busitema (138), Kabale (127), ISBAT (121), and Bishop Stuart (103).
The University of Kisubi admitted the fewest number of students, with only 4, while Nkumba, Makerere School of Business, and Soroti University admitted 13 students, with Uganda Christian University admitting 14.
Distribution by district
Mr Charles Wana-Etyem, the chairman Higher Education Students Financing Board, said the 137 districts of Uganda are all represented among the successful loan applicants, with about 15 districts registering 100 percent eligible applicants and all of them awards
Previously, the board has been accused of issuing more loans to students from districts in the Western region, But Mr Wana-Etyem said both the district selection and proportionate arrangement were taken into account this year to ensure that all the districts are fairly represented among the loan awards.
Mr Wana-Etyem said even districts known for low participation rates that included Amudat; Buvuma, Kalangala, Kareng, Madi-Okolo; Obongi; Kotido; and Moroto all have presented learners for support this year.
“I am happy to report that we have beneficiaries from all the districts of the country; and the loan award selection process took serious consideration to ensure a national outlook through regional balance,” Mr Wana- Etyem said.
Wakiso District took the lion’s share of the loans with 74 students given the loans, followed by Ntungamo with 64 students. Other top beneficiary districts were Busia (54), Rungungiri (46), and Sheema (44).
Among the least beneficiaries were Moroto and Karenga, with each having only one student getting the study loans. Buvuma, Obongi, and Madi-Okollo districts each had only two students given the study loans.
Whereas these districts have the least number of students admitted on the study loan, they have a 100 per cent admission rate of all the students who applied, meaning that all candidates who applied in those districts were all considered.
The low number of students in those districts is also further attributed to poor performance of learners in the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education where most of the failure rates come from those districts.
The board recovered Shs2 billion from the previous beneficiaries. Mr Wana-Etyem reported that the Board has supported a total of 16,439 students with study loans in both 25 public and private universities and 33 other tertiary institutions.
He said the total number of students supported by the loans scheme now stands at 16,439, with 11,125 (67.7 percent) male and 5,312 (32.3 percent) female.
Mr Wana-Etyem said: “This is the eleventh time that the Board is awarding loans to students pursuing higher education at both universities and other tertiary institutions.”
