The Higher Education Students’ Loans Board (HESLB) is a body corporate established under Act No.9 of 2004 (as amended in 2007, 2014 and 2016) with the objective of assisting needy and eligible Tanzania students to access loans and grants for higher education.
The main mandates of HESLB include:
- To assist, on a loan basis, needy students who secure admission in accredited higher learning institutions, but who have no economic power to pay for the costs of their education
- To collect due loans from loan beneficiaries and use it as revolving fund to sustain operations of the Board
- To create synergies through establishing strategic partnerships in student financing ecosystem
HESLB Masters And PhD Guidelines And Criteria for Issuance Of Loans to Students 2024/2025
1. IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS TO ALL LOAN APPLICANTS
All loan applicants for Academic Year 2024/2025 are required to observe the following:-
- Read and follow application procedures stated in this Guideline,
- Ensure that the Form Four Index Number provided when applying for a loan matches the one used in your application for admission to University or College,
- Ensure that all documents submitted to support your application have been certified by relevant authorities as specified in this Guideline,
- Ensure that all birth/death certificates are certified by the Registration, Insolvency and Trusteeship Agency (RITA), or Zanzibar Civil Status Registration Agency (ZCSRA) to ascertain their validity,
- Ensure that your loan application form is dully filled before submission,
- All applicants must observe the set loan application deadline.
2. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
1. General Criteria
- Must be Tanzanian;
- Must be admitted into an accredited higher education institution in Tanzania;
- Should have completed and correctly applied for the loans through the Online Loan Application and Management System (OLAMS),
- Applicants with outstanding HESLB loans should have repaid at least 25% of their previous loan,
- Must be employed on permanent and pensionable basis,
- Must not be above 45 years of age at the time of application,
2. Specific Criteria
A. Academic Staff
Applicants who are academic staff whose institutions signed a Financing Agreement with HESLB, must fulfill the following specific eligibility criteria: –
- Must hold a first Degree or an Advanced Diploma with a minimum of Upper Second Class (for applicants pursuing Master Degrees) or Master Degree with a minimum of Upper Second Class (for applicants pursuing PhD degrees),
- Must be academic staff admitted to pursue postgraduate studies on a full-time basis, at an accredited Higher Education Institution in Tanzania,
- Must have obtained endorsement from the Vice Chancellor/ Principal/Provost/Rector of the respective institution,
- Must ensure that Employer has signed the Financing Agreement between HESLB and respective Higher Institution, Loans to applicants under this category shall be limited to Meals and Accommodation, research expenses, Tuition fee, Books and stationery expenses. Other items may be determined and agreed between parties.
B. Public Servant admitted at NM-AIST
To strengthen national capacity in research, ICT, and innovation; HESLB issues loans to students admitted into Master or Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Science-related programs offered at the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST).
- Must have been admitted to pursue Masters or Ph.D. program in the following Priority areas:-
- Life Sciences;
- Mathematical and Computer Science Engineering;
- Information and Communication Science Engineering; and
- Materials, Energy, Water and Environmental Sciences.
- Must have obtained repayment guarantee from the employer; Loans to applicants under this category shall be limited to Meals and Accommodation, research expenses, Tuition fee, Books and stationery expenses. Other items may be determined and agreed between parties.
C. Public Servant Admitted in STEM Programs
Eligibility Criteria for non-academic Postgraduate students will be as follows: –
- Must be employed on permanent and pensionable basis,
- Must have obtained repayment guarantee from employer, Loans to applicants under this category shall be limited to Tuition fee and Books and stationery expenses.
3. APPLICABLE RATES FOR POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS
Loan allocation for the academic year 2024/2025 for all loan items shall be guided by the following:-
i. Meals and Accommodation (MA)
The maximum amount for MA will be calculated at TZS 10,000.00 per day during on-campus training as per HEIs almanac for the respective academic year.
ii. Books and Stationery (BS)
A maximum of TZS. 500,000.00 per annum for books and stationery may be granted to eligible students pursuing a Master’s and Ph.D.
iii. Tuition Fee (TU)
HESLB may provide tuition fee loans at a 100% rate based on the rates charged by the respective Higher Education Institution.
iv. Research Expenses (RES)
HESLB may provide loan amounts not exceeding a maximum of TZS. 2,625,000.00 to 10,800,000.00 per annum for a Master’s Degree program and a maximum of TZS. 8,000,000.00 to 15,400,000.00 per annum for a PhD Degree program.
4. OTHER CONDITIONS
A. Loans Repayment
- Repayment for loans under the academic staff category shall be guided by the Financing Agreement signed between HESLB and the respective institution.
- Repayment for NM-AIST postgraduate students’ loans and those from Non-academic postgraduate beneficiaries shall start immediately upon completion of the first year of study by monthly installments deducted by employers from the beneficiary’s salary and remitted to HESLB.
5. MODE OF APPLICATION
- Upon completing the online loan application process
- applicants shall be required to print out the application forms and Loan Agreements,
- obtain appropriate authentications,
- sign the forms,
- attach necessary documents,
- upload them into OLAMS, and
- submit their applications online.
6. LOAN APPLICATION FEES
- All applicants shall pay a non-refundable one-off application fee of TZS 50,000; and
- All payments shall be made by using system-generated control number that provide banks or mobile money networks. For more details on the payment procedure visit: https://olas.heslb.go.tz
7. LOAN APPLICATION DEADLINE
Publication of the list of successful loan applicants
8. APPEAL AGAINST LOAN RESULT
- Unsatisfied applicants may be allowed to submit their appeal through the Online Appeal Form in their Student’s Individual Permanent Account (SIPA).
- The appeal process will not attract any cost to the applicant (Application Fee).
- The Loan Appeal window for 2024/2025 opens on 15th September, 2024 to 30th September, 2024.
