The Ministry of Education and Sports has released the list of successful beneficiaries under the Higher Education Students Financing Scheme, with 2,790 students set to receive loans worth Shs10.72 billion to pursue degree and diploma programmes.
The financing is expected to enable students who may otherwise struggle to meet the cost of higher education to access academic programmes at accredited higher education institutions across the country.
Of the successful applicants, 2,019 students will pursue undergraduate degree programmes, while 771 will undertake diploma courses.
The selection also achieved near-equal representation between male and female students, with 1,390 males, representing 49.8% of the beneficiaries, and 1,400 females, representing 50.2%.
The scheme has also extended support to 64 students with disabilities, who were awarded loans to pursue both science and humanities programmes.
The beneficiaries were selected from a total of 10,615 students who applied for financial assistance to pursue degree and diploma programmes at accredited higher education institutions across the country.
Michael Wanyama, Commissioner for the Higher Education Students Financing Scheme at the Ministry of Education, said the growing number of applications demonstrates the increasing demand for financial support among students seeking to advance their education.
“This time round, we received a total of 10,615 applications, way above the 7,125 received in the last academic year,” Wanyama said.
The latest applications represent an increase of 3,490 applicants compared with the previous academic year, highlighting the growing need for affordable financing as more Ugandan students seek opportunities to access university and other higher education programmes.
The Ministry opened applications for the 2026/27 academic year on May 25, 2026, with the initial deadline set for July 25.
The deadline was later extended to July 31 to give students more time to apply, particularly those whose admission processes had been delayed by some higher education institutions.
Through the financing scheme, eligible students can access financial support to pursue higher education programmes, particularly where lack of funds could prevent them from enrolling or completing their studies.
