Africa-Press – Tanzania. HIGHER Education Student’s Loans Board (HESLB) announced on Monday July 1 as opening date for new applications for higher education loan for the 2021/22 academic year.
Already the parliament has approved the board’s 500bn/- loan plan a slight increase from the 464bn/- allocated for the year 2020/21.
Abdul-Razaq Badru, HESLB Executive Director, told reporters in Dar es Salaam on Monday the application window will be launched on June 25 and official application date is scheduled for July 1.
According to Badru the five-days grace period is designed to offer guidance to prospective beneficiaries to verify required documents before starting applications.
“HESLB is committed to providing guidance starting June 25. This guidance will be available at our website in both English and Kiswahili language,” Badru announced shortly after signing a memorandum of understanding with the registration insolvency and trusteeship agency—RITA.
The MoU is designed to help the two state agencies speed-up verification process of students applying for higher education loan. Each application is required to be accompanied by applicant’s legit birth and/ death certificates for parents/ guardian.
Mr Badru said HESLB has so far released 85 per cent of the 464bn/- to continuing students and the remaining amount will be paid next month. A total of 149,472 students are benefiting.
The executive director announced, however, that the board has recollected at least 88.4 per cent or 168bn/- of the planned 190bn/- during the financial year 2020/21.
RITA’s Acting Executive Director Emmy Hudson demanded that students should submit their birth and death credentials in PDF form.
