HESLB, TASAF systems benefit underprivileged students

DODOMA: THE integration of the Tanzania Social Action Fund (TASAF) and the Higher Education Students’ Loan Board (HESLB) systems has empowered students from underprivileged families to access full loans, ensuring their educational needs are met without obstacles.

This was revealed in Dodoma by TASAF’s Director for Knowledge Management and Advocacy, Mr Japhet Boaz, during the commemoration of HESLB’s 20th anniversary.

He said that the integration has successfully addressed previous complaints from students, who were unable to access full funding, which in turn hindered their ability to pursue higher education.

Between 2019/2020 and 2024/2025 financial years, Mr Boaz elaborated, a total of 11,524 students from poor families identified by TASAF have received full loans.

“This initiative has allowed students from disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue higher education something that would have remained a distant dream had they not received full loans,” he said.

According to available statistics, in the 2019/2020 financial year, 698 students in the TASAF database were beneficiaries of loans. This number increased to 963 in the 2020/21 financial year.

By the 2021/22 financial year, 1,682 TASAF beneficiaries accessed 100 per cent of HESLB’s loans. The number continued to rise, with 2,733 students benefiting in 2022/23 and the figures for 2023/24 and 2024/25 standing at 2,198 and 3,250, respectively.

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“This integration has significantly reduced complaints from families and the public regarding access to loans. It reflects the government’s dedication to fostering development for its citizens through its institutions,” Mr Boaz remarked.

He further explained that TASAF ensures qualified students from underprivileged families can access their right to education through effective system management, monitoring and engagement at all levels.

Over the past decade, TASAF has identified and registered 1.2 million households, comprising 5.2 million people across the country.

Among these families, 724,867 children are in primary schools, 341,827 in secondary schools and 26,308 in A-level education.

In addition to education, TASAF funds sectors such as water, health, education infrastructure and environmental conservation.

He noted that TASAF has helped 400,000 households graduate from poverty, calling it “a significant achievement for the programme.”