ASK THE EXPERTS

Dear Sir,
My sister dropped out of school in S4 in 2002 due to financial problems and did not sit for O’level final exams. She is now 26 years old. Does she qualify to apply for admission at Makerere University through the mature age entry scheme?
John Twesigye

The mature age entry scheme is one of the three avenues of admission to undergraduate programmes at Makerere University. The scheme targets mature persons who did not get a chance to join the university though the direct entry scheme which is for A’level leavers.

Fatumah Nakatudde, one of the deputy registrars at Makerere University, says the scheme does not discriminate against candidates on grounds of education levels. The minimum qualification for admission through the mature age entry scheme is 25 years of age.

Only candidates who try to reapply for a course they failed are shunned. This implies that whoever is aged 25 years and above, whether they have UACE certificates or not, qualifies to apply as long as they can write and read. Your sister, who is aged 26 years, falls in this category. You should advise her to apply.

Application forms for those intending to sit the mature age entry examination are issued at the university annually between June and August. However, those who want to join in the next academic year (2010/2011) submitted their applications in February and await to sit for the exams.

Nakatudde says the university will advertise for applicants for the 2011/2012 academic year before 2010 ends. Please advise your sister to apply when the adverts come out. The application costs sh80,000 which is paid as a non-refundable application fee.

Applicants are subjected to a written entry exam, which is normally an aptitude test. Whoever fails this test is disqualified. Therefore, if your sister applies, she should be ready to work hard to pass the exam. After passing the exams, she could choose a course of her interest. In most cases, mature age entrants are given arts courses.

Compiled by
Francis Kagolo
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