There was gender disparity in student loan scheme -UPC

By Nicholas Wassajja

Uganda People’s Congress has criticized the way in which the Higher Education Students Financing Board selected beneficiaries of the student’s loan scheme. 

Speaking at a weekly media briefing at Uganda House in Kampala, the party spokesperson, Okello Lucima said that the project was a worthy idea however it did not achieve regional and gender equity at implementation.

Lucima said that, “the awarding of the scheme did not reflect national character because there was regional imbalance and insensitivity in promoting girl child education.”

He argued that offering loans to students was not only a question of performance if it were to receive gender equity and regional balance, but also considering regions most especially those that have been most affected by conflict would have been a suitable criteria.

Two days ago, Government released the list of the names of undergraduate students who had been selected to acquire financial support with a 7% interest rate under the higher education students’ loan scheme.

Of the 2,109 students who applied, 1,269 were selected. Out of the 1,269 beneficiaries, 454 (21.5%) were female students while 1655 (78.5%) of them were male students. 

 “The criteria would have considered the vulnerability of the girl child during selection because many do not perform to their capability due to the challenges they face along the way.” Lucima said.

He added that the program would have been implemented at a zero interest rate to help beneficiaries pay back with ease and that it should have cared for welfare needs of the student rather than just tuition fees.

 “How do these people expect a student from Adjumani to survive in Uganda Christian University or Makerere without providing them with accommodation fees and other necessities?” Lucima asked.

The party national chairperson, Professor Edward Kakonge said the president was wrong in thinking that the nation should only support science students.

Kakonge said that, “it is absolutely wrong for the president to consider supporting sciences without thinking about arts disciplines because science research without values may cause this country a total disaster.”

In December last year, Parliament passed the Higher Education Students Financing Bill, 2013 with an objective of establishing a scheme to finance students at higher education in Uganda.

Related Stories

Students’ loan scheme beneficiary list out

Boys top the list of Student Loan beneficiaries

Sh15b for student loan scheme next fiscal year