The Government of Uganda has selected 2,790 students to benefit from higher education loans for the 2026/2027 academic year under the Higher Education Students' Financing Scheme (HESFS).

The beneficiaries were announced by the Acting Minister for Education and Sports, Hon. John Chrysostom Muyingo, during a media briefing at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala.

The latest intake is the 13th cohort to benefit from Uganda's Students' Loan Scheme, which was established under the Higher Education Students' Financing Act, 2014, and amended in 2024 to expand financial support for Ugandans who face difficulties meeting the cost of higher education.

The Ministry of Education and Sports received 10,615 applications for the 2026/2027 academic year. After the applications were assessed, 8,005 candidates were found eligible, while 2,610 did not meet the requirements.

Incomplete documentation was among the major reasons applicants were unsuccessful. According to the ministry, 1,452 applicants did not provide all the documents required during the application process.

Women slightly outnumbered men among the students selected for funding. The new cohort includes 1,400 female students, representing 50.2 per cent of beneficiaries, compared with 1,390 male students, or 49.8 per cent.

The number of female beneficiaries has increased significantly from 862 in the previous academic year, reflecting the scheme's continued emphasis on improving women's access to higher education financing.

Of the 2,790 students selected, 2,019 will pursue undergraduate programmes while 771 will undertake diploma courses.

The loan scheme continues to give priority to programmes considered important to Uganda's development, particularly Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), as well as Tourism and Hotel Management.

Bachelor of Science with Education attracted the largest number of beneficiaries, with 581 students selected. Engineering followed with 498 beneficiaries, while Computer Science had 313 and Health Care Management 284.

The government has also maintained provisions for students with disabilities. A total of 64 students with disabilities were selected, including 46 males and 18 females.

In addition to assistance covering tuition and other eligible academic costs, students with disabilities will be supported with specialised learning aids and appliances where required.

The selection process was based on a three-tier allocation model. Thirty per cent of the available slots were allocated through district quotas, another 30 per cent was determined by the proportion of eligible applicants from districts and cities, while 40 per cent was allocated according to socio-economic vulnerability.

Other factors considered during the assessment included academic merit, financial need, geographical equity, gender and disability status.

The government used the Proxy Means Test scorecard, which is integrated into the Loan Management Information System, to assess applicants according to their socio-economic circumstances.

A total of Shs10.720 billion has been allocated to support the 2026/2027 cohort. Although the original budget was intended to support 2,400 students, lower-than-expected unit costs allowed the government to increase the number of beneficiaries by an additional 390 students.

Under the scheme, the government will meet tuition, functional and research fees for successful beneficiaries, with the money paid directly to the institutions where the students are enrolled.

The number of universities participating in the loan scheme has also increased. For the 2026/2027 academic year, 33 universities are participating, compared with 25 in the previous academic year.

The participating institutions comprise 11 public universities and 22 private chartered universities, in addition to tertiary institutions offering diploma programmes.

The ministry stressed that beneficiaries will not receive tuition payments directly. Instead, the financial obligations covered by the scheme will be settled between the government and the respective institutions.

The minister also commended former beneficiaries who have repaid their student loans, describing their repayment efforts as important to the sustainability of the programme and to future students who will require financial assistance.

Successful applicants will be notified through SMS, the Ministry of Education and Sports website and its official social media platforms. Those selected will then be required to sign loan agreements before funds are released to their respective institutions.

The Higher Education Students' Financing Scheme is designed to help academically qualified Ugandans from financially disadvantaged backgrounds access university and other tertiary education opportunities.

With thousands of students unable to meet the cost of higher education each year, the government-backed loan programme remains a key mechanism for widening access to tertiary education while supporting the development of skilled human resources needed for Uganda's economic transformation.