The Higher Education Students’ Financing Board (HESFB) has announced the beneficiaries of the 2024/25 Academic Year under the Students’ Loan Scheme. The announcement, made by the State Minister for Higher Education, Hon. Dr. John Chrysostom Muyingo, marks a significant step toward increasing access to higher education in Uganda.
According to the Loan Award Report presented by Eng. Dr. Charles Wana-Etyem, Chairperson of the HESFB Governance Board, said that 6,661 applications were received this year, up from 1,921 the previous year, indicating a 246% growth in demand. Of these applications, 3,781 (56.8%) were deemed eligible, while 2,880 were rejected due to various eligibility issues.
This year’s funding of UGX 7.25 billion has enabled HESFB to support 1,838 students, representing 27.6% of all applicants. Notably, the proportion of female beneficiaries has risen to 43%, with 790 female students receiving loans compared to 26% in the previous year. The Executive Director, Michael Wanyama, highlighted this as a historic achievement, surpassing the 30% affirmative action threshold previously set for female applicants.
Among the beneficiaries, 1,372 students (74.6%) will pursue undergraduate degree programs, while 466 (25.4%) will enroll in diploma courses. The Board continues to prioritize affirmative action, awarding loans to 29 Persons with Disabilities (PWDs)—18 males and 11 females—allowing them to pursue both science and humanities programs.
Minister Muyingo emphasized the importance of vocational and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) programs, noting that these fields are vital for addressing Uganda’s economic and developmental needs. He also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to securing additional funding to meet the growing demand for student loans.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education and Sports, recognized the crucial role of the scheme in bridging the gap created by other successful government education initiatives like UPE and USE. Since its inception in 2014, the loan scheme has supported 16,437 students, an impressive milestone for Uganda’s education sector.
To ensure equitable access, the Board applied a three-tier selection process, which includes assessing applicants based on their socio-economic vulnerability, regional balance, and district quotas. As a result, every district in Uganda is represented among the beneficiaries. This year, districts like Amudat, Buvuma, and Kotido, which historically had low participation rates, saw students receive loans.
The Executive Director also praised the fully online application process, which has streamlined operations, reduced costs, and improved data accuracy. The digital approach allows students from across the country to apply without incurring transportation costs.
Both Hon. Dr. Muyingo and Eng. Dr. Wana-Etyem called upon loan beneficiaries to take their studies seriously, reminding them that the loans must be repaid to ensure the sustainability of the revolving fund. Repayments will enable future students from underprivileged backgrounds to also benefit from the scheme.
HESFB continues to collaborate with various stakeholders, including the Ministry of Finance, to secure increased funding in future years to support more learners.
The List of Beneficiaries and the remarks for the Chairperson, Executive Director, Permanent Secretary and the Minister are hereby attached.
Students Loans Scheme Beneficiaries’ List for the AY 2024/25
good afternoon HESFB, thank you for the work well-done, am one of the applicants that was waiting with hope for the chance to achieve a dream and a carrier, unfortunately i have not been selected, what a dark day for me because i had even reported to campus and one of my friends was helping to house me as we await for this chance, i had even started to attend lectures so that i may not lag behind when this list is released, unfortunately i didnt make it to the list,
coming from one of the poorest region in uganda from karamoja subregion in napak district , and being admitted to a public university GULU university for bachelors degree in pharmacy, a course i believe would help make a difference in the health sector of my district as we have never had a napak born pharmacist and it has and its my dream i wanted to achieve so that i can become an inspiration to others as well and not only help my family but also impact the lives of the community people around me and uganda at large,
my heart is too heavy now and i put everything in the hands of God,
if there could be a reason why i was not shortlisted , am humbly requesting you to tell me so that i can provide the necessary information so that incase of any chances of appealing or chance of adding in the new list, that i may be among them,
but on a special note i want to thank this initiative, for it has become a source of hope for us the poor people to further our education, and i congratulate everyone selcted.
Please visit wwww.hesfb.go.ug/appeals and apply for an appeal
Request next time the list should be released early enough to enable students to prepare ahead of time and have plan B especially those ones not shortlisted.
It’s always hurting to go to campus and find you’ve been not shortlisted and it’s late to find the solutions to finance our education.