HESFB Scoops the Citizens Choice Award for Best Government e-Services
The Higher Education Students’ Financing Board (HESFB) has beat nine other Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to the Citizen’s Choice Awards at the second edition of the e-Government Excellence Awards hosted by the National Information Technology Authority (NITA) of Uganda. Under the Students’ Loan Scheme, HESFB has implemented a number of e-Services including the Integrated Loan Management Information System (ILMIS) that facilitates Loan Applications and Loan Management. The National Information Technology Authority (NITA) Uganda organized the Awards under the theme, “Bold digital Government, embracing disruptive technologies” — to recognize Government MDAs that have played a remarkable role in availing online government service (e-Services) to the public. HESFB was nominated in the Citizen’s Choice Awards category alongside e-Services of key Government MDAs including Uganda Revenue Authority, National Social Security Fund (NSSF), Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB), Ministry of Health and Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA). Others are Inspectorate of Government, the Directorate of Citizens and Immigration Control (DCIC), the IFMIS Suppliers Registration system at the Ministry of Finance Planning and Economic development and Report Corruption System of the Anti-Corruption Unit of State House. According to NITA, the awards are in line with the third National Development Plan Goal that seeks to improve Public Sector Response to the needs of citizens and the Public Sector — and they are also in line with the NRM Manifesto 2021/26 that seeks to Digitize Service delivery processes across all government entities through the adoption of new ways of delivering services. The HESFB Executive Director, Mr. Michael Wanyama called the Award an “honor to be recognized and appreciated for the investment the Board is making in streamline e-Services in the mandate to increase access to Higher Education.” “We would like to thank all those who chose and voted the Students’ Loan Scheme and this is a testimony that our services are enabling access to study loans especially at the onset on Covid-19,” said Mr. Wanyama. The voting which was launched to the public on December 2nd, 2021 and closed on December 8th had members of the public vote on phone through the access code, *260#. The E-Government awards are organized by NITA-U in partnership with the World Bank Group, Huawei, Ernst & Young and the function was graced by the Minister of Information and National Guidance, Hon. Dr. Chris Baryomunsi.
Announcement: Release of List of Beneficiaries and Extension of Applications
The Higher Education Students’ Financing Board (HESFB) will be releasing the list of the first batch of successful applicants to the Loan Scheme on December 20th, 2021 following the closure of the application window on November 30th 2021. While addressing Journalists at the Uganda Media Center, the Executive Director, Mr. Michael Wanyama said that the Board had also extended the deadline for applications to applicants awaiting admissions from Makerere University, Kyambogo University, Gulu University, Lira University, Soroti University and Other Tertiary Institutions under the Joint Admissions Board to 15th January, 2022. The list of successful beneficiaries in this category will be released on 4th February, 2022. Read full statement here:
Student Loan Applications for the AY2022/23 Now Open
The Executive Director, Higher Education Students’ Financing Board (HESFB) has announced the Call for study loans to the 9th Cohort of the Students’ Loan Scheme for the Academic Year 2022/23. This year’s application will that commences on Monday, 18th July, 2022 will run till 15th September, 2022 to coincide with the 1st Semester of the AY2022/23 for Higher Education Institutions. In the applications, Mr. Michael Wanyama says that this year’s application will continue to run an affirmative action for Persons with Disabilities who can apply to any programme of their choice in humanities and sciences. Female applicants too will be given extra marks as are applicants that hail from the Greater Northern Region (West Nile, Lango, Acholi and Karamoja) Regions. Applicants from Buvuma and Kalangala Districts too are advantaged. Click here to Apply for the Students Loan Scheme Download full Press Statement below
Welcome to Our New Website
Our dear stakeholders we welcome you to our newly re-designed website. Our communications and IT teams have been busy trying to change the layout to provide a more interactive and informative graphical user interface that is quick to communicate our business and use as more visual cues as possible. We have repackaged our content to make it clutter free, precise and more personalized to enrich the experience of every stakeholder who interacts with us. We have new informational portals specific to our Beneficiaries, Loanees, Institutions and Employers. Our core business of lending and establishing a revolving fund is simply highlighted. Templates for other devices and browsers are fully responsive. We have also fast-tracked the process to coincide with the call for the 8th Cohort of applicants. We hope you have a great experience and plead for your patience as we make more resources available. We also wish to hear your feedback. Reach our Head of Communications on bob.nuwagira@redesign.hesfb.go.ug or 0782940384
Student Loan Applications for October 2021
The call for the 8th Cohort of Student Loan Applications is slated to start in October 2021 according to Mr. Bbosa Kizito, the Director of Operations of the Higher Education Students Financing Board (HESFB). “The call for application will be launched in October since most Higher Education Institutions are already in the process of admissions,” says Mr. Kizito. “Proof of admission is one of the key requirements for application to the Students’ Loan Scheme and most prospective applicants are still in the process of applying for placement at different Higher Education Institutions.” The Higher Education Students’ Financing Board (HESFB) was established in February, 2014 by an Act of Parliament HESFB Act No. 2 of 2014, with a mandate to provide Loans and Scholarships to Ugandan students to pursue Higher Education. HESFB under the Students’ Loan Scheme provides loans and scholarships to Ugandan students who have qualified to pursue accredited courses of study or programmes in the recognized Higher Education Institutions in Uganda but are unable to support themselves financially.
Students Lose Loans Opportunity due to Falsification of Information
About 47 Students’ Loan Opportunities have been cancelled following the discovery that Beneficiaries had falsely declared information about their backgrounds, medical history and some presented forged documents. “Following the release of the 7th Cohort of the Students’ Loan Beneficiaries in January 2021 for the AY2020/21, a verification exercise was conducted to ascertain the integrity of the information provided by the beneficiaries at the point of application as established in Section 21 of the Higher Education Students Financing Act, 2014,” reads a Press Statement released on September 27th, 2021. The exercise established that 47 Student Loan Scheme Beneficiaries all in their First Year of study at different Higher Education Institutions had falsified information regarding their background (Orphanage), disability status while others had doctored academic documents. Section 38 of the HESF Act, 2014 states that, “an applicant who makes a false statement to the Board or in any document submitted to the Board commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding forty eight currency points or to imprisonment not exceeding twenty four months or to both.” Read more on the Press Release Here.
HESFB Launches Student Loans for Continuing Students
Kampala. August 30th, 2021, – The Executive Director, Higher Education Students Financing Board (HESFB), CPA. Michael Wanyama has today launched the Student Loan opportunity for continuing students. Since 2014, eligibility to the Student Loan Scheme has been open only to students joining in their first year of study, at eligible universities, who are funded till they complete their studies. Addressing journalists at the Uganda Media Center, Mr. Wanyama pointed out that the scheme has now been widened to include both new and continuing university students due to appeals by students, institutions, and the public. He explained that move is aimed at enabling continuing students who face financial challenges in the course of their studies to complete their education. “In the FY2020/21, the Parliament of Uganda appropriated additional funding of UGX 500Million to cater for continuing students effective FY2021/22. Furthermore, in its 27th meeting, the Board approved to gazette this funding to start with Final year students who are struggling to finish their study programmes,” Mr. Wanyama said. “The funds will be directed to the finalists in the 5th, 4th, 3rd, and 2nd year depending on the years of programme,” he explained, as he announced the commencement of the Continuing Students Loan facility ahead of a call for Student Loan applications in October 2021. Ms. Miriam Nambooze, the Guild President Ndejje University who represented the student community at the launch expressed her appreciation to the Government of Uganda for extending this support to many stressed students who fail to finish their programmes of study due to tuition challenges, an issue she says was exasperated by the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the 2016 ‘Africa Higher Education Student Survey Project,’ almost 30% of all students in Uganda, who join university education on various degree programmes in various universities, never finish their courses on time, or just drop out, the majority of whom fail to raise the required tuition fees. The Higher Education Students Loan Scheme which has been in operation since 2014 has so far supported 11,184 beneficiaries in major STEM programmes including the training of over 3,000 Health and Medical personnel, over to 2,000 Science Teachers, 1,000 Agricultural Experts, and close to 3,000 Engineers among others. About 3000 Beneficiaries have since finished their studies, completed their one-year grace period, and are currently repaying their loans. For more media enquiries, contact: Bob Nuwagira Head Communications & PR – HESFB. bob.nuwagira@redesign.hesfb.go.ug . +256782940384
HESFB Meets Karamoja MPs over Numbers
The Senior Management team at the Higher Education Students’ Financing Board (HESFB) on Friday, September 17th, 2021 met with members of Parliament from the Karamoja region under the Karamoja Parliamentary Group (KPG) to discuss modalities of increasing the number of applicants to the Students’ Loan Scheme from the region. The Engagement meeting was aimed at raising awareness about the Loan Scheme opportunity but also brainstorm on how the local leaders could join efforts increasing the numbers to the Students Loan Scheme. In the meeting, the HESFB Executive Director, Mr. Michael Wanyama briefed the MPs on measures the Board had undertaken to increase the number of applicants from the Karamoja region including targeted sensitization campaigns in the region targeting political and technical leaders of the Karamoja Districts, educationists and teachers. The Board has also been running an intensive media campaign in the region since 2019. Mr. Wanyama said these efforts had resulted in a slight increase in the number of applicants though below the expected rate. Remigio Achia, the Chairperson, Karamoja Parliamentary Group and also the Piano County Member of Parliament in Nabilatuk District thanked HESFB for reaching out the legislators to reinforce awareness for the Scheme in the region and challenged his fellow MPs to use their platforms to raise the number of applicants on the Loan Scheme. Karamoja Region is among regions in Uganda where applicants are considered under various affirmative action initiatives of the Board including free seven (7) Points in the score card and also benefits from extra 100 slots offered to applicants from the Northern Region. Ends For more media enquiries, contact: Bob Nuwagira Head Communications & PR – HESFB. bob.nuwagira@redesign.hesfb.go.ug . +256782940384
List of Successful Students’ Loan Scheme Applicants for the AY2020/21 Released
The Higher Education Students’ Financing Board (HESFB) has this morning released the list of the 7th Cohort of the successful Students’ Loan Scheme applicants for the academic year 2020/21 at the Uganda Media Centre. Officiating at the release ceremony, the State Minister for Higher Education, Hon. Dr. John Chrysestom Muyingo said that Government is aware of the increased demand for student loans and promised that the Ministry of Education and Sports will extend a proposal to parliament to increase funding to ensure more students gain access. According to the circulated Loan Award Report, the Board received a total of 5,537 loan applications and awarded loans to 1,113 students representing a success rate of 20%. Of these, 617 are male while 496 are female. Degree applicants take the lion share with 1,004 successful beneficiaries, while 109 were awarded to undertake diploma. This year also saw the highest number of successful Applicants with Disabilities (PwDs) with 24 being awarded loans and the highest gender parity with 44.6% of the successful beneficiaries being female. The total number of Loan Scheme beneficiaries has now hit 11,154. Following the initial Call for Applications on 15th June, 2020 and ending on 31st July 2020, the Board extended the deadline three (3) times to cover the month of August, September and the final deadline of October 15th 2020 for degree applicants and October 31st, 2020 for diploma applicants. This was to cater for the delayed release/confirmation of admissions by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) whose operations were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Download the List Here>>> Students Loans Scheme Beneficiaries List for the AY 2020-21