a jack pot set a side for students' loan: The citizen reports

Dar es Salaam. The government has allocated Sh317.8 billion this academic year as loans to students in higher education learning institutions, a Sh80 billion increase compared to last year’s Sh 237.8 billion allocation.

The Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU) said yesterday that out of 48,477 applicants, 37,924 or 78 per cent) have been admitted at various universities through the Central Admission System.

Out of which 23,340 students (61 per cent) had qualified for the loans.
The figures were released yesterday during a joint press conference addressed by TCU executive secretary Prof Sifuni Mchome and Mr Machunda Lubambula, director of Loan Allocation and Disbursement at the Higher Education Students’ Loans Board (HESLB).

The selection has adhered to gender parity as yesterday’s numbers indicated that 8,514 female applicants (22 per cent) got the loans, while 5,480 (14 per cent) missed. On the other hand, a total of 14,826 males (39 per cent) got the loans, while other 9,104 (24 per cent) did not succeed.

This year’s loans allocation has, been in line with the revised guidelines that placed much weight on priority courses such as education, science, arts and mathematics, health sciences, agriculture sciences, engineering and other natural sciences, according to Mr Lubambula.
Another determinant factor, he said, was budget constraints, which led to some eligible candidates being left out. “A total of 14,534 candidates have not been able to access the loans as the majority are admitted into non-priority courses,” he said.

He outlined that other reasons for lack of access included defective loan applications with their total number in brackets as names on application forms that is different from those on admission (138), existing loan beneficiaries (823), lack of evidence of nationality (213), unsigned applications & agreement for loans (821).

Mr Lubambula further noted that direct entrants applicants have, for this year benefited more compared to their equivalent and delayed entry candidate applicants.