The Higher Education Students Financing Board (HESFB) was established by the Higher Education Students Financing Act, No. 2 of 2014 as a body corporate to provide Loans and Scholarships to students intending to pursue Higher Education in Uganda.
Under the Student Loan Scheme, HESFB awards study loans to Ugandan students seeking to pursue Higher Education but are financially constrained.
The objectives of the Students’ Financing Scheme are: –
to increase equitable access to Higher Education in Uganda;
to support highly qualified students who may not afford Higher Education;
to support critical programmes for national development;
to ensure regional balance in Higher Education services in Uganda;
to create a revolving fund.
2.0 THE CALL FOR STUDENTS’ LOAN APPLICATIONS FOR ACADEMIC YEAR 2023/24
The Board therefore invites applications for study loans under the Students’ Loan Scheme from eligible Ugandan students who have been admitted in their first year under the listed Undergraduate Diploma and Degree programmes for the Academic Year 2023/24 in the Public Universities, Private Chartered Universities and the listed Other Tertiary Institutions.
The Applications will commence on Monday 4th March, 2024 and the deadline for application is Friday, 15th March, 2024.
3.0 STUDENTS’ LOAN COVERAGE
The Students’ Loan shall cover tuition fees and functional fees. The loan shall also cover Aids and Appliances for persons with disabilities, while research funds may be covered as and when budget allows.
Student loans shall strictly be awarded to students joining Higher Education Institutions in First Year.
The Loans will be awarded to applicants pursuing Undergraduate Diploma and Undergraduate Degree programmes only.
Applicants shall be required to pay a non-refundable Loan Processing Fee of UGX 53,000 to the HESFB LOAN APPLICATION FEE, Account No. 3740300006 Centenary Bank or 01363669053643 DFCU Bank. The Payment Receipts shall be scanned and attached during the Loan Application process.
Applicant who may encounter challenges in the application process can seek help by calling 0392174999 or 0414255300 or through our Social Media pages
5.0 REQUIREMENTS
A copy of the Admission Letter from the participating Higher Education Institutions
A copy of an Applicant’s the National ID
Copies of Parents’ National IDs
Copies of Death Certificate (In case parents are deceased)
Copies of an Applicant’s Academic certificates or result slips and transcripts
A copy of the Birth Certificate
A copy of the recent Passport Photo
Proof of payment of the non-refundable Loan Processing fee of UGX 53,000
A sketch map to the applicant’s current address/residence
A sketch map to the applicant’s home of origin (If different from current address)
The Directorate of Graduate Training (DGT) in conjunction with CARTA’s Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases (TERID) Research Hub and the East–Spark Project completed a two days Doctoral (PhD) academic supervisors training under the theme: “Empowering Academic Supervision Training in Eastern Africa: Sparking Potential, Advancing Research, and Knowledge (EAST-SPARK).”
The training took place between 2nd and 3rd July 2025 at the College of Business and Management Sciences’ (COBAMS) School of Business conference hall.
In his opening remarks, the Director of Graduate Training Prof. Julius Kikooma challenged the team to set clear and manageable objectives for graduate students under their supervision so that they can complete their doctoral studies on time.:
“Set expectations at the beginning of the research journey of PhD students under your supervision. Resist working with students that are not objective. Set a time frame with in which the student is able to do their research so that they are able to finish their doctoral studies on time.”
He added, “The issue of supervising graduate research is very vital because there needs to be seamless progression of the graduate students.”
Prof. Kikooma further highlighted that the target in the strategic plan is to have 30% graduate students enrolled in the next five years. Currently, it is about 17%.
“We need to get everything right in this training. Our biggest issues are in the supervision process flow of the graduate students. Graduate supervisors need to listen to students and equally the students need to listen to the supervisors. The graduate supervision journey is simple with open communication and immediate feedback between the two parties.”
This will help us in creating a new breed of academia and researchers that Makerere university and the country as a whole need.”
Director of Graduate Training Prof. Julius Kikooma
Prof. Kikooma further added “Take the excellence you have to represent the university. Ensure you have all they policies on your fingertips so that you guide the students well.”
In his remarks, Prof. Ibrahim Okumu (representing the Principal, COBAMS) said that such a training was necessary and it was a right move towards standardization of doctoral training in the region.
“What does it take to standardize doctoral and graduate studies? We need to create unison in the region and learn by doing. Doctoral studies are vital and cannot be taken for granted. We need to continue creating critical thinkers ready to nature research programs. These trainings are enablers in this journey.”
He added, “Let us blend the old and young birds in this training so that we share knowledge and experience to nature and grow the dreams of the doctoral students. Nature the inner person, not imposing yourself on to the student. Enable them to open up while doing their research and they will have a good and seamless doctoral academic journey.”
Prof. Ibrahim Okumu
Dr. Drago Kato Charles, a trainer and a senior Lecturer at the Department of Biomedical Laboratory Technology at CoVAB said, “These trainings are continuous professional development programs aimed at refreshing doctoral supervisors every now and then. They are vital and needed by the mixture of the young, intermediate and senior supervisors.”
He added, “These senior supervisors share knowledge and experience on what is going on in the world of education. The young come to learn from old supervisors. The goal is to increase completion and quality of the PhD output. In totality, such a training aims to improve quality and mentorship on how to facilitate and handle graduate student supervision.”
He added that the trainees were taking the obtained skills to their schools and colleges to produce more quality doctoral and graduate students which would lead to growth of economies since every country needs PhD researchers to drive economic transformation and policy developments as well as implementation.
Dr. Peter Ssenkusu, a senior lecturer in the Department of Foundations and Curriculum studies in the School of Education said, “The training modules are extensively researched. The areas covered are very pertinent for doctoral supervision.”
Dr. Stephen Ojiambo Wandera, a facilitator and a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Population Studies in the School of Statistics and Planning at COBAMS added, “The vision for Makerere University is to be a research led institution. To be research-led university, we need to promote graduate teaching and learning. To achieve this, graduate students need supervisors that are well trained and skilled. We will also continue to do retooling for experienced supervisors.”
Dr. Byaruhanga Micheal Bruce from the Department of Biochemistry and Tourism, a lecturer and a participant said, “Whoever thought about this training did something very important. I thought all I was doing in supervision was normal until this training came. I did not know that some issues I knew would let the students off the course while others would keep them on. I want to ensure that all I have learnt is put into action. The modules have been very enriching. We need more of such trainings, probably for more than two days.”
Dr. Tukae Mbegalo, a guest trainer from Mzumbe University in Tanzania said, “The training is very relevant considering the diversity of the participants which include the young and senior researchers because of sharing the experiences which include delays and the relationships between supervisors and supervisees.” He added, “As supervisors, our emphasis is on scientific writing which we should instill in the students. Scientific writing leads to consistency right from problem setting, objectives, methodology and aligning it to the results so that we improve the quality of the doctoral outputs.”
Makerere University has noted with concern the article titled “Mak Drops Marks” published by the Daily Monitor Newspaper on 8th July 2025. The article raises issues that require clarification to ensure accurate information is shared with our stakeholders and the public. We wish to address the following key points:
1. Misrepresentation of Ranking Data
The article inaccurately combines the Sub-Saharan African University Rankings and the World University Rankings to portray a misleading performance trend for Makerere University. For clarity, Makerere University was ranked 8th in the 2024 Sub-Saharan African University Rankings. However, the 2025 Sub-Saharan African Rankings have not yet been released, making any comparison with the World University Rankings is misleading. This is a misrepresentation of facts aimed at tarnishing the University’s reputation and causing alarm among stakeholders.
2. Omission of Impact Rankings Achievements
The article fails to acknowledge Makerere University’s outstanding performance in the 2025 Impact Rankings, which assess contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Makerere University significantly improved its global standing, moving from the 601–800 band in 2024 to the 301–400 band in 2025. Notably, the University ranked 17th globally in Decent Work and Economic Growth and within the 401–600 band for Quality Education. These achievements reflect Makerere’s commitment to societal impact and sustainable development, which the article conspicuously ignores.
3. Balanced Perspective on World University Rankings
While Makerere University acknowledges a decline in certain parameters in the World University Rankings, we view these as areas for improvement. At the same time, we celebrate our strengths, including high-quality research output and a robust international outlook, which continue to position Makerere as a leading institution globally.
Makerere University remains committed to excellence in teaching, research, and societal impact. We urge our stakeholders and the public to rely on verified information from credible sources and to engage directly with the University for clarity on such matters. We acknowledge the Daily Monitor’s interest in Makerere University and implore them to report more accurately in the future.
The Academic Registrar, Makerere University invites applications from Ugandan, East African, and international applicants for the undergraduate programmes under Self Sponsorship Scheme for the 2025/2026 Academic Year.
Each applicant should:
a) Have the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) with at least five passes, or its equivalent and at least two principal passes at Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) obtained at the same sitting. For day programmes, only candidates who sat A’ Level in 2024, 2023 and 2020 are eligible to apply. For evening, afternoon, and external programmes, a candidate is not restricted on the year of sitting A’ Level.
OR
d) Degree from a recognised /Chartered Institution
Further details on the re-advertised programmes , fees structure, and the procedure of submitting applications can be accessed from the document below: