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| The board has raised the minimum loan amount per individual beneficiary from Sh2.7 million last year to Sh3.0 million this year. Photo: Courtesy |
By Adonis Byemelwa
The Higher Education Students' Loans Board (HESLB) has released the first batch of loan allocations for university students for the 2024/25 academic year. Announced by the board's Executive Director, Dr. Bill Kiwia, the list includes 21,509 students who have been granted loans amounting to Sh70.78 billion.
The announcement, made on Saturday, September 28, 2024, covers first-year undergraduate students, students attending Law School for practical training, and Master's degree students. Dr. Kiwia emphasized that students can check their loan allocation details through the Student’s Individual Permanent Account (SIPA), the same platform used for loan applications.
“We have started releasing loan allocation details for all categories, including those who have been allocated loans and those whose applications are still being processed. Every applicant can access their status through their SIPA account, eliminating the need to visit HESLB offices,” Dr. Kiwia said. He also mentioned that the allocation process for diploma and PhD students is ongoing.
HESLB has begun preparing payments for both new and continuing students to ensure that funds are disbursed to universities on time. According to Dr. Kiwia, a total of 245,799 students are expected to benefit from the government’s Sh787 billion loan funds for the 2024/25 academic year. Of this, over Sh284.8 billion has been earmarked for more than 88,000 first-year students. The budget for this year represents a Sh38 billion increase, or 5.1%, compared to the Sh749.4 billion allocated in 2023/24.
In a further boost for students, the board has raised the minimum loan amount per individual beneficiary from Sh2.7 million last year to Sh3.0 million this year.
Dr. Kiwia also urged universities that have not yet submitted exam results for continuing student beneficiaries to do so immediately. This will enable the board to process payments for those students who are eligible to continue with their studies. “A few universities have delayed submitting results. We have reminded them and asked that they expedite the process so we can finalize payments for all eligible students,” he said.
The second batch of loan recipients for the 2024/25 academic year is expected to be announced next week, with more students anticipated to meet the criteria for loan allocation.
The announcement was welcomed by the Tanzania Higher Learning Institutions Students Organisation (TAHLISO), which praised the board for its early action. “The board has made a great start, addressing one of the common student complaints about delays,” said TAHLISO President, Zaynab Kitima. She also acknowledged the increase in the minimum loan amount, noting that while it may not fully cover all needs, it does ease the burden to some extent.