Africa-Press – Tanzania. THE government through Higher Education Students Loans Board (HESLB) has set aside 570bn/- budget for students’ loan for 2021/2022 academic year expected to benefit 160 students.
The Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Prof Joyce Ndalichako said yesterday in Dar es Salaam that the amount set aside has broken HESLB 16-year record.
The Minister was speaking at the launch of new loans application season for 2021/2022 academic year. According to Minister Ndalichako, of the160,000 beneficiaries, 62,000 are first year students and 98,000 are continuing students.
“Until last month, loans budget for 2021/2022 academic year was 500bn/-, but in her 100 days in office, President Samia Suluhu Hassan increased 70bn/-, which is equivalent to an increase of 22.8 percent,” Prof Ndalichako said.
He said the increment was an indication of the government commitment to continue empowering more youth so that they can access education loans and work for their country.
In 2020/2021 academic year, the government set aside 464bn/- which benefited 149,398 students, of which 55,287 were first year students while 94,111 were continuing students.
Prof Ndalichako further directed HESLB to continue educating loan applicants so that they can understand the required qualifications and procedures for applying for the loans.
She also urged Registration, Insolvency and Trusteeship Agency (RITA) and Tanzania Postal Corporation (TPC) to work together to ensure that loan applications are well verified and submitted on time to allow applicants to get their loans on time “I would not like to see students getting loans late in the next academic year, to allow them focus on studies,” she said.
HESLB Executive Director, Abdul-Razaq Badru said that they will work on the directives issued by the minister, noting that from July 12 this year, the board officials will embark on special programs to educate loan applicants on how to make appropriate applications through a campaign dubbed ‘#WeweNdoFuture’.
“We are finalizing procedures with National Service Administration so that we can reach youth who are enrolled in 19 JKT camps… we will also run the campaign through televisions, radio, social networks and stakeholders meeting,” he said.
The launching was also attended by Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Prof James Mdoe and representatives from Tanzania Postal Corporation and RITA.
On his part, Ag Post Master General, Mr Macrice Mbodo added that during this new season, they will ensure that student applications are submitted to HESLB on time.
