Why upgraders deserve loans

By By Shekana C. Kasambala

Recently, the Higher Education Students Loans and Grants Board (HESLGB) announced progress in recovering loans from past beneficiaries. According to a post on its Facebook page, the board recovered nearly K723 million between April and December of the 2024-25 financial year.

While these achievements are commendable, with the new application window open from April 1 for both new and continuing students, it is important to reconsider the board’s eligibility criteria for loan beneficiaries.

One of HESLGB’s key policies states that loan applicants must be ‘needy’ Malawians admitted to ‘generic’ degree programmes at fully accredited institutions of higher learning. However, I question how the HESLGB defines ‘needy Malawians’. According Cambridge to the Dictionary, ‘needy’ refers to being poor and lacking basic necessities.

Many students enrolled in upgrading, weekendand Open Distance and e-Learning programmes at universities f it this definition but are denied loans. For example, numerous upgrading students at Mzuzu University (Mzuni), Domasi College of Education and Nalikule College of Education have been forced to withdraw due to financial constraints. Some of these students are primary school teachers who completed their training at various Teacher Training Colleges years ago but have yet to secure employment.

I was particularly moved by a conversation with one young man who was both happy and sad upon hearing he had been selected for a Bachelor of Education in Science at Mzuni as an upgrader. He had trained as a primary school teacher four years ago but had not been employed. While he was overjoyed to pursue his dream, he was saddened because his parents could not afford the tuition fees and other expenses.

To help him attend his first semester, they had to sell family land and livestock. He expressed doubt about returning for the next semester when the term begins on May 6. Sadly, many others are in similar situations.

At a pre-budget consultation in Mzuzu on January 10, 2024, Mzuni Vice Chancellor, Wales Singini, appealed to the Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs for more funding to allow the board to support upgrading and weekend students.

He shared how many of these students have cried in his office because they cannot register due to lack of tuition fees. At a similar meeting in 2025, I also raised concerns about the urgent need to support upgrading students. It is not only unemployed teachers who face challenges; even those employed by the government struggle.

While primary school teachers are granted study leave to pursue education degree programmes, the government does not cover tuition fees or other expenses, forcing them  to finance their studies independently. These individuals bear significant responsibilities. Given the high dependency ratio in Malawi, many support their siblings, children, and extended families.

When not paying school fees, they are buying food and other essentials. As a result, the high cost of living pushes them to take loans from banks and microfinance institutions, leaving them with financial burdens that can lead to desperate situations, including thoughts of suicide. It is unfortunate that many of these students suffer because they do not qualify for loans from HESLGB, due to the assumption that upgrading students are not needy. This assumption unfairly excludes students who are in genuine financial need.

Ironically, if these teachers are selected through the harmonised selection process by the National Council for Higher Education, they can apply for loans, as the loans board is unaware that they are already teachers. The current system of verifying neediness through paperwork and photos is flawed and easily manipulated, which is why the board often overlooks the most students. deserving In simple terms, upgrading students are

Victims of their registration numbers. Many are unemployed and struggle to pay their tuition fees and other expenses. The assumption that they are financially stable is misguided. In reality, many have substantial financial responsibilities and a high dependency ratio.

As the country faces an economic crisis, these students are in greater need of loans than some of the generic students who can easily find sponsorship. When teachers upgrade their qualifications, they are better equipped to provide quality education, which is essential for the country’s development. Can the government reduce illiteracy and achieve Malawi 2063 if it excludes some individuals from accessing higher education? The answer is clear.

HESLGB must revise its eligibility criteria to include upgrading students in financial need. This can be done by selecting upgraders who can provide evidence of need and offering loans that can be repaid after completing their studies.