Only 2,790 students have been approved for government higher education loans for the 2026/27 academic year, leaving thousands of applicants without financial support despite a sharp rise in demand for the scheme. The Ministry of Education and Sports received 10,615 applications, up from 7,125 in the previous academic year, representing a 48.9 percent increase.
Of the applications received, 8,005 applicants, or 75.4 percent, met the initial eligibility requirements, while 2,610, representing 24.6 percent, were found ineligible. The figures were released on Thursday, September 10, 2026, by Commissioner for the Higher Education Students’ Financing Scheme Michael Wanyama at a press briefing at the Uganda Media Centre.
Acting Minister for Education and Sports John Chrysostom Muyingo said the increase reflects growing demand for government support among students struggling to finance higher education. “Applications increased by 3,490, from 7,125 to 10,615, translating into a reported 48.9 percent increase.”
The ministry attributed part of the increase to greater public awareness and outreach through print and social media, community radio and television. The application deadline, initially set for July 17, 2026, was also extended to July 31 to accommodate students affected by delayed admission processes at some higher education institutions.
Applications were submitted exclusively online through the Integrated Loan Management Information System (ILMIS), which the ministry says has enabled students to apply from anywhere in the country while reducing processing time and errors. However, the increased reliance on online applications also makes access to reliable internet connectivity and digital literacy important for prospective beneficiaries.
Of the 8,005 eligible applicants, only 2,790, representing 34.8 percent, were eventually selected. The approved cohort comprises 1,390 male students, or 49.8 percent, and 1,400 female students, or 50.2 percent. The number of female beneficiaries has increased substantially from 862 in the 2025/26 academic year to 1,400 under the new intake.
The new cohort also includes 64 students with disabilities, comprising 46 males and 18 females, who will pursue both science and humanities programmes. The ministry says the selection framework was designed to promote geographical equity, gender inclusion and support for vulnerable groups. The largest number of beneficiaries are pursuing Bachelor of Science with Education, with 581 students, followed by engineering with 498, computer science with 313 and health-care management with 284.
The concentration of beneficiaries in education, engineering, computing and health-related programmes reflects the government’s priority on fields considered critical to human capital and economic development. For the 2026/27 intake, the ministry adopted a three-tier selection model developed in line with recommendations from Parliament.
Under the model, 30 percent of beneficiaries are selected through district quotas, another 30 percent are allocated to districts and cities according to their share of eligible applicants, while 40 percent are selected based on socio-economic vulnerability. The ministry says the approach is intended to balance merit and financial need with geographical representation.
Applicants were assessed using a Proxy Means Test (PMT) embedded in ILMIS. The system considered socio-economic background, academic performance, household characteristics, and vulnerability factors such as disability and parental loss, alongside geographical and affirmative-action considerations.
According to the ministry, the PMT score was generated automatically without human intervention in the scoring process. The selection exercise produced beneficiaries from across the country, including districts that have historically recorded relatively low participation in the scheme.
These include Amudat, Buvuma, Kalangala, Karenga, Kotido and Moroto. The Higher Education Students’ Financing Scheme operates under the Higher Education Students’ Financing Act, 2014, as amended in 2024. The scheme is intended to expand equitable access to higher education, support qualified students who cannot afford tertiary education, promote regional balance, finance programmes considered critical to national development and maintain a sustainable revolving loan fund.
For the 2026/27 intake, applicants had to be Ugandan citizens admitted to accredited institutions and programmes, submit the required documentation, and be aged 35 years or younger at the time of application. Applicants were also required not to be beneficiaries of another scholarship or funding programme. The approved annual tuition ceiling under the scheme is 7.6 million shillings.
For the current intake, financing is primarily targeted at approved STEM programmes and tourism and hotel-management programmes, while students with disabilities can apply for accredited undergraduate degree and diploma programmes, including humanities. Incomplete applications accounted for the largest share of the 2,610 applications that were rejected.
The ministry said 1,452 applications were incomplete because the applicants had not submitted all the required documentation. A further 279 applicants applied for programmes that were not eligible for financing, while 87 were continuing students despite the scheme targeting first-year entrants.
The government has allocated 10.72 billion shillings for the new cohort. The ministry said the original budget was designed to support 2,400 students, but the available funds have allowed the number to rise to 2,790 because many beneficiaries are enrolled in relatively low-cost programmes. Bachelor of Science with Education accounts for a significant share of the beneficiaries and was identified by officials as comparatively less expensive than several other programmes.
The loans will cover tuition, functional fees and research fees payable to higher education institutions. The money will not be paid directly to students but will instead be disbursed to their respective institutions. Successful applicants are required to sign loan agreements with the ministry before the funds are released.
The number of universities participating in the scheme has also increased from 25 in 2025/26 to 33 this academic year. Of the 33 universities, 11 are public, and 22 are private chartered universities, in addition to other tertiary institutions offering eligible diploma programmes.
Despite the expansion in government support, the figures show that demand continues to outpace available financing. Only 2,790 of the 10,615 applicants secured loans, meaning roughly one in every four applicants received support. Even among the 8,005 applicants who met the initial eligibility requirements, fewer than four in ten ultimately obtained funding-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
