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By Mulengera Reporter
The Higher Education Students’ Financing Board (HESFB) has announced another extension of the deadline for application for government loans, with a warning to those intending to secure government loans not to expect another postponement.
While the Board opened up the application process for the seventh cohort of loan beneficiaries as early as May 2020, it would later extend its July 31 deadline by one more month owing to the fact that admission processes for various higher learning institutions had delayed due to the restrictions government had put in place, including the March 20 decision for the closure of schools, to prevent the spread of Covid19. This deadline was also further extended to end of September for those intending to pursue degree programs and to October 15 for prospective diploma students to help institutions complete their admission processes and enable applicants from border districts access their former schools for pass slips and recommendation letters.
But even as this deadline drew closer, applicants and education institutions appealed to the Michael Wanyama-led HESFB to offer them an extension. Wanyama and his board were told that the Joint Admissions Board (JAB) whose role, among others, is to process supplementary lists for students joining diploma programs was yet to complete its work and publish the lists. Kyambogo University also asked for an extension to complete its admission process, with Vice Chancellor Prof Eli Katunguka writing to Wanyama and his board, promising to release admission lists in the first week of October. JAB also wrote to HESFB and committed themselves to have released lists by close of business on October 16.
The Board has now extended the application process deadline for Applicants to Degree programs from September 30 to October 15, while applicants to Diploma programs will have up to October to complete the application process for the Higher Education Funding Scheme through which 10,041 students have acquired loans over the years. Of the beneficiaries, 8,616 have pursued undergraduate degree programs while 1,425 Undergraduate diploma have undertaken diploma programs since the scheme’s inception in 2014. The beneficiaries have pursued 130 degree programs and 76 undergraduate diploma courses mainly in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), except for those with Special Needs who can access loans to pursue courses in Business and Humanities.
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