Uganda's higher education access programme piques Zimbabwean interest

KAMPALA - Uganda's Higher Education Access Certificate (HEAC) programme has drawn a delegation of education stakeholders from Zimbabwe for a benchmarking experience.

The HEAC is a bridging qualification piloted by FAWE Uganda in 2017 and accredited by NCHE in 2019 as a fourth official pathway into university education.

The programme targets academically able young people from economically disadvantaged backgrounds who did not meet the minimum entry requirements for direct university admission.

"When FAWE Uganda and FAWE Africa told us about this programme, we picked interest to come and learn from the Ugandan experience so that we can avoid the past mistakes of making students repeat a class," said delegation leader Prof Fanuel Tagwira from Zimbabwe's Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education.

He is leading a team comprising members from the Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education (ZIMCHE), academic registrars of five public universities, FAWE Zimbabwe, and FAWE Africa executive director Dr Martha Muhwezi.

They are in the country to study and critically understand how Uganda is implementing the HEAC.

On Monday, they met with members of National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) Uganda and later paid a courtesy call to the Ministry of Education and Sports.

On Tuesday, the delegation visited Busitema University main campus in Busia district, one of the three HEAC-implementing universities.

They were also at Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU) Mbale campus and Ernest Cook University in Kampala.

The visiting group said the knowledge they have acquired will help them implement the programme better back home.

FAWE boss Muhwezi said the HEAC programme was developed under the Higher Education Access Programme (HEAP), a partnership between FAWE Uganda and the MasterCard Foundation.

Rev. Dr. Cyrus Ssebugenyi, the head of audit, monitoring and compliance at NCHE, said since its accreditation, HEAC has been adopted by over 50 universities and diploma-awarding tertiary institutions across Uganda, enabling hundreds of young people to transition into degree programmes.

Ssebugenyi said HEAC is currently in its second phase, launched in April 2024, with a target of supporting 2,000 young people from 65 districts across Uganda.

So far, over 9,000 learners have benefited since its inception.

Tereza Omondi Adaitan, the deputy director of FAWE Africa and head of programmes, said the programme prioritizes gender equity, with 80 percent of bursaries allocated to young women, and extends access to refugees and persons with disabilities.

She said in the 2025/2026 academic year, FAWE Uganda awarded 700 bursaries across universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions. 

She said Uganda is one of the eight countries in Africa implementing the programme.
Prof Paul Waako, the Busitema University vice-chancellor, said they are proud to share their experience with Zimbabwe and to contribute to a broader continental conversation about equitable access to university education for all.

He said since its inception, many disadvantaged children have benefited from the programme amid a growing demand.

Waako said despite receiving over 1,000 applications, Busitema University can only absorb 300 learners.