Africa-Press – Tanzania. THE Parliamentary Committee on Infrastructure has advised the government to include pilot students at the National Institute of Transport (NIT) in the higher education loan scheme to ease the burden of high tuition fees and enable them to complete their studies without financial constraints.
Speaking to journalists on February 16, 2026, on behalf of the Committee Chairperson during a visit to the institution, Johnston Mutasingwa said some programmes, particularly pilot training, are costly and require government support through student loans.
“We have witnessed that the costs of some courses are high; there is a need for the government to include these students in the loan system to relieve them of the heavy tuition burden,” he said.
He added that the loans would provide significant support to students pursuing expensive professional courses, stressing that the goal is to ensure that no student fails to continue with studies due to a lack of fees.
Apart from the loan issue, the Committee also advised the government, through NIT, to purchase two training aircraft for pilot students. The move aims to improve training facilities and enhance the quality of aviation education.
Mutasingwa emphasised the importance of the investment, noting that acquiring training aircraft would increase efficiency in preparing pilots and help meet the growing demand in the aviation sector.
On his part, the Rector of the National Institute of Transport, Prosper Mgaya, said there is a high demand for aviation professionals, revealing that the country is currently facing a shortage of aviation experts of up to 50 per cent.
“Investment in training is essential to address this shortage,” he said.
He added that the institute plans to procure two training aircraft to match the pace of studies and respond to the actual needs of the aviation industry.
