THE Zambia National Education Coalition (ZANEC) has expressed dismay with the failure by government to award loans to 8,004 eligible first-year students at the University of Zambia (UNZA) for the 2021/2022 academic year due to budgetary constraints.
The Higher Education Loans and Scholarships Board (HELSB) has said that it has failed to award Loans to 8 004 eligible first-year students at the University of Zambia (UNZA) for the 2021/2022 academic year due to budgetary constraints.
ZANEC Executive Director, George Hamusunga said 8,000 was a small number and government has no excuse to fail to provide funding especially that the loans were to be paid back by former beneficiaries.
Mr. Hamusunga has since called upon government through the Ministry of Education to heighten its loan recovery program from former university students and deal with barriers to the loan facility to allow for new eligible students to have access without fail.
Mr Hamusunga said the positives that may be scored by government’s approach of scrapping off school fees at primary and secondary level would be lost if barriers in accessing higher education were not dealt with immediately to enhance value to education through skills post-secondary.
Mr. Hamusunga said that higher education was directly related to economic development.
And HELSB said, however, that it has only awarded student loans to 2,481 eligible first-year students at the University of Zambia for the 2021/2022 academic year, who had scored 5 and 6 points, bringing the total of students currently being supported at UNZA to 8,539 students.
HELSB also said that they had received an overwhelming response of 10,682 applications, of which, 6,150 are males while 4,532 are female representing 58% and 42%, respectively.
Of the total number received, 10,485 applicants are eligible for the award of student loans while 197 are ineligible, representing 98% and 2%, respectively.
ZANEC dismayed by govt failure to award Loans to 8,004 eligible first-year students
