The Higher Education Students’ Loans and Grants Board (HESLGB) has opened a special window targeting about 5,000 students who have recently been selected to pursue university education, with a projection to use K3 billion.
In a statement, the board says the special window for newly selected first-year students will be open from July 24 to August 11 this year.
“HESLGB stresses that loans are provided only to students who apply for the loans and are eligible. It is, therefore, essential that all needy students apply for loans if they want to be considered,” the statement reads.
In an interview Thursday, loans board executive director Prince Phwetekele said the loan facility was devised to accommodate newly selected students as, at the time they were closing their normal loans window, the National Council for Higher Education had not released names of students under the new selection.
“If we had not opened this window, it would mean that most of these students would fail to study,” he said.
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Over 8,550 students have been selected to pursue tertiary education in six public universities of the country.
Recently, the board was receiving applications for loans from continuing students and said it had received over 20,000 applications, a rise from last year’s 16,000. The application window closed on May 30 2023.
According to Phwetekele, they are in the final stages of scrutinising names with the expectation to release names of successful candidates next week.
Further, Phwetekele said they are projecting to have 24, 000 applications in addition to the students in the special window.
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He said they are, therefore, expecting to blow about K24 billion.
The board loans out tuition fees and upkeep money.
