HESLB disburses 3.6tri/- in student loans in five years

ARUSHA: THE Higher Education Students’ Loans Board (HESLB) has disbursed student loans amounting to 3.6tri/- to eligible beneficiaries across the country during the five-year leadership of President Samia Suluhu Hassan.

HESLB Executive Director, Dr Bill Kiwia, said this yesterday while opening a workshop that brought together the board’s management and over 310 student sponsor institutions and organisations countrywide.

The meeting was held at Nelson Mandela University in Arusha Region and was attended by 160 participants.

Dr Kiwia said the amount disbursed is unprecedented since the establishment of the board, noting that President Samia has made significant efforts to advance higher education to enable students become professionals who contribute to national development and economic growth.

He said the number of students receiving HESLB loans has been increasing annually, with a notable rise in both loan allocation and beneficiaries from the 2021/22 to 2025/26 academic years.

“These students are being trained in various fields of higher education and, in the coming years, the country will have a sufficient number of skilled professionals to drive economic development,” he said.

Dr Kiwia further noted that during the period, 17,872 students benefited through sponsorship criteria based on prior support at secondary or diploma levels from various local organisations and institutions.

He expressed gratitude to heads of institutions and organisations for supporting and guiding students from low-income families to access higher education.

Dr Kiwia emphasised that the National Development Vision 2025 places strong emphasis on higher education as a key driver of a modern, knowledge-based economy.

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“This vision aims to remove financial barriers through loans and sponsorships in order to produce highly skilled professionals aligned with the demands of industrial and service sector development both nationally and internationally,” he said.

He urged participants to collaborate by sharing experiences, building mutual understanding and strengthening cooperation frameworks in managing student sponsorship programmes.

Dr Kiwia stressed that joint efforts between the government and stakeholders must efficiently and timely reach the intended beneficiaries.

Meanwhile, HESLB Director of Loan Planning, Dr Peter Mmari, advised heads of sponsoring institutions to strictly adhere to eligibility criteria when selecting students in need of loans, noting that this would enable the board to fulfil its responsibilities without challenges.

Some representatives from sponsoring institutions and organisations commended HESLB for organising the meeting—the first of its kind since the board’s establishment—saying it would improve coordination, reduce operational challenges and ensure timely support to students.

“We are here to build and strengthen cooperation with HESLB in managing and coordinating student sponsorship. This collaboration is a key pillar in ensuring that eligible youth benefit,” said Adamu Masoud from Kagera.