By Nasser Kayanja
KAMPALA — A total of 2,790 students have been approved for government loans to support their higher education studies during the 2026/27 academic year.
The beneficiaries were selected from 10,615 applications submitted under the Higher Education Students Financing Scheme, which provides financial assistance to students pursuing degree and diploma programmes at accredited higher education institutions.
The Ministry of Education and Sports said the sharp rise in applications reflects the growing demand for financial support among students seeking to pursue higher education.
Michael Wanyama, Commissioner for the Higher Education Students Financing Scheme, said applications increased from 7,125 in the previous academic year to 10,615 this year.
Wanyama said the application exercise opened on May 25, 2026, with the deadline initially set for July 25 before it was extended to July 31. The extension was intended to accommodate students whose admission processes had been delayed by some higher education institutions.
Applications were submitted electronically through the Integrated Loan Management System.
Under the scheme, applicants were required to be Ugandan citizens aged 35 years or below and admitted to eligible programmes offered by accredited and chartered higher education institutions.
Wanyama said the selection process was based on a standardised scoring system intended to minimise human interference and ensure that applicants were assessed on the same criteria.
The assessment considered applicants’ academic performance, socio-economic circumstances, vulnerability, disability, orphanhood, geographical location and affirmative action factors.
Of the 10,615 applications received, 8,005 applicants, representing 75.5 per cent, met the eligibility requirements, while 2,610 applications were rejected.
According to the ministry, a significant number of the unsuccessful applications were incomplete.
After the assessment process, 2,790 students were approved for financing, representing about 34.8 per cent of those who qualified.
The number marks a significant increase from the 862 students who secured government loans during the previous academic year.
Of the 2,790 beneficiaries, 1,400 are female while 1,390 are male.
The beneficiaries include 2,019 students enrolled in degree programmes and 771 pursuing diploma courses.
The Ministry of Education and Sports said the financing scheme remains an important avenue for students who may otherwise struggle to meet the cost of higher education.