Lawmakers have asked the Ministry of Education and Sports to overhaul the Higher Education Studentsโ Financing Scheme (HESFS) to address regional disparities, digital exclusion, and limited access for vulnerable learners.
The call came after the Minister of State for Higher Education, Hon. John Chrysostom Muyingo, presented a statement to Parliament revealing that only 2,047 students had received loans out of 7,125 applicants for the 2025/2026 academic year.
โThe demand for student loans has exponentially increased, outpacing available resources. There is therefore need for Parliament to allocate more funds,โ Muyingo said.
According to the minister, 1,196 of the beneficiaries are male, 861 are female, and 45 are students with disabilities โ an improvement from 29 the previous year. He noted that allocations were made using a 60 percent district quota and 40 percent socio-economic vulnerability model to promote fairness.
However, several MPs criticized the schemeโs implementation, arguing that it continues to favor urban-based students and wealthier regions with better internet access.
Kiboga District Woman MP, Hon. Christine Nakimwero, questioned whether the loan programโs affirmative action objectives were being fulfilled.
โThe affirmative benefit was on regional balance, not on sex. The biggest challenge was on balancing of regions which is not coming out clearly,โ Nakimwero said.
She urged the ministry to decentralize communication, noting that the current online application process excludes rural students.
โThere should be an improvement in sharing adverts to line officers at district level because online applications and responses become difficult for vulnerable students. They donโt have the equipment to run with online applications. This is leaving them behind,โ she added.
Obongi County MP, Hon. George Boka Didi, decried continued marginalization of regions such as Karamoja, Acholi, Lango, West Nile, and Bukedi.
โThere are regions that are highly marginalisedโฆ yet when it comes to loan scheme financing, I see more opportunities given to districts that perform well under ordinary sponsorships. We would like to know the affirmative action being applied to a district like Obongi that does not have electricity,โ he said.
KimaanyaโKabonera Division MP, Hon. Abed Bwanika, questioned the alignment of loan allocations with national manpower needs.
โHow do we choose our priorities? We donโt have health workers and engineers. I thought this loan should help government bridge those gaps if we have done a needs assessment in this country,โ he said.
Butemba County MP, Hon. Bingi Patrick Nyanzi, proposed expanding the number of beneficiaries and integrating State House scholarships into a district-based quota system to ensure fairness across all regions.
Butambala County MP, Hon. Muhammad Kivumbi, faulted the government for maintaining a low sponsorship cap.
โIt has maintained a paltry 4,000 students that are sponsored by government across universities. People are selling land to pay school fees; you are compounding poverty. Are you comfortable that for 40 years, you have maintained 4,000 students per year?โ he asked.
Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa, who presided over the sitting, acknowledged that fear of debt remains a cultural obstacle in some communities.
โWhen some people hear about studentโs loans, they get scared and fail to apply for the loans. You cannot get a loan on behalf of the family,โ he said.
Tayebwa directed the Committee on Education and Sports to review the ministerโs statement and report back with recommendations to improve equitable access to the scheme.
