Student financial aid body to increase beneficiaries by 15%

Higher Education Students’ Loans and Grants Board says it will in the next fiscal year increase the number of beneficiaries by 15%, drawing praise from students’ representatives and education activists for the equalisation efforts, writes Ralph Mvona for Nation Online.

The board’s executive director Prince Phwetekere said in an interview on Monday 3 February that the agency plans to support 33,427 students in the 2025 to 2026 financial year, which is 4,544 more students than those benefitting in the current fiscal calendar ending 31 March 2025. He said the board expects MWK33.9 billion (US$19.5 million) funding from the Treasury to achieve the new targets, up from MWK30.5 billion in the current year, which is targeting 28,883 students.

Education activist Limbani Nsapato commended the government for the expanded coverage but urged authorities to ensure that funding to the board is sufficient and disbursed in time.
Full report on the Nation site