Today the 17th of April , the Parliament of Uganda has passed the higher education students financing amendment bill 2024 has been passed.
According to Parliament, the Higher Education Students Financing Board is a scheme meant for Ugandan students seeking financial assistance to pursue a program of higher education in any accredited higher education institute by National Council for Higher Education.
While presenting the report of the Committee on Education, Hon. John Twesigye, said Higher Education Students Financing Board should be maintained as a semi-autonomous body, with a view of granting it vote status in the medium term for it to effectively discharge its mandate.
Hon. Oguzu Lee (Maracha County) put up a solid fight with his minority report, calling for the rationalisation of the Higher Education Students Financing Board because there is no equity in the current system administered by the centralised board.
He said “The advanced students’ loan system does not favour the people from the villages, the application processes are complicated and people in the villages find difficult because it requires internet.”
In protection of this system, the State Minister for Higher Education, Hon. Chrysostom Muyingo said “The money from the student loans scheme will be added to the district quota so that when money is appropriated every district benefits.”
Hon. Jonathan Ebwalu of the Soroti West Division said the student’s loan scheme in its current state only benefits students of the rich.
Regardless of the different opinions from members of Parliament, this bill has been passed with an aim of helping students who are struggling to meet the necessary dues that are needed for one to be enrolled in the accredited higher institutions of learning.
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