HESLB GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA FOR ISSUANCE OF STUDENTS’ LOANS AND GRANTS FOR THE 2020/2021 ACADEMIC YEAR

1.0 IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS TO ALL LOAN APPLICANTS

All loan applicants for Academic Year 2020/2021 are required to:

• Read and follow application procedures stated in these guidelines for Academic Year 2020/2021;

• Ensure that the Form Four Index Number provided when applying for loans matches with the one used in your application for admission;

• Applicants who seated for Form Four Examinations more than once are reminded to list all Form Four index numbers used while applying for loans.

• Ensure that all documents submitted to support your application have been certified by relevant authorities as specified in the guidelines;

• Ensure that all birth/death certificates and other certificates are certified by Registration, Insolvency and Trusteeship Agency (RITA), and Zanzibar Civil Status Registration Agency (ZCSRA) “Wakala wa Usajili wa Matukio ya Kijamii Zanzibar “or designated officer(s) to ascertain their validity;

• Ensure all Birth certificates for students who were born in foreign countries are certified by respective Embassies located in the United Republic of Tanzania. Also Death Certificates for Tanzanian Parents who died in foreign countries are certified by respective Embassies.

• Ensure that your application form is dully filled and signed before submission;

• Applications must be completed with correct (and accurate) details;

• All applicants are advised to keep a copy of complete package of the application form submitted to HESLB for future reference (if required) and

• All applicants must strictly observe the set application deadline.

2.0 OVERVIEW

The Higher Education Students’ Loans Board (HESLB) was established by HESLB  Act  (CAP 178) and became operational in July 2005. HESLB is mandated to, among others, issue loans and or grants to needy and eligible students. Application window for Academic Year 2020/2021 will be open from July 15, 2020 through August 30, 2020.

3.0 ELIGIBILITY

HESLB Act and regulations provide for General Eligibility and Criteria for applicants seeking loans. NEEDY and ELIGIBLE applicants may apply for loans and/or grants to meet part, or full costs of their education. 

3.1 Needy Applicant

In addition to general eligibility, additional criteria define NEEDY applicant who should not exceed 35 years of age at the time of application, who may:-

• Be a poor orphan who has lost one or both parents (death certificate has to be certified by RITA or Zanzibar Civil Status Registration Agency (ZCSRA) “Wakala wa Usajili wa Matukio ya Kijamii Zanzibar “or respective Embassies located in the United Republic of Tanzania).

• Be poor disabled student whose disability shall have to be certified by the District Medical Officer (DMO), Regional Medical Officer (RMO), or any entity authorized to certify such cases (as may be specified).

• Have poor parents with disability to be certified by the District Medical Officer (DMO), Regional Medical Officer (RMO), or any entity authorized to certify such cases (as may be specified).

• Be from lower income household and/or marginalized community whose secondary school or diploma education was sponsored. Applicants in this category will be required to ask respective sponsors to fill a standard proof of sponsorship form which can be downloaded from HESLB website and upload it along with other attachments in the application. The said letter shall be authenticated and regarded as evidence of such sponsorships.

• Be from a lower income household and/or marginalized community, which is under Special Economic Support Programs for example TASAF. They should provide the program beneficiary’s number as a proof.

3.2 General Eligibility Criteria as Pronounced by the Act

General Eligibility criteria require an applicant to meet the following conditions: –

• Must be Tanzanian;

• Must have applied for a loan through Online Loan Application and Management System (OLAMS);

• Must have been admitted to an accredited Higher Learning Institution on a full time basis except for students admitted at the Open University of Tanzania (OUT).

• Must not have funding from other sources.

• Must be a continuing student with results/progress reports to show that he/she has passed the examinations necessary to enable him/her to advance to the following year or stage of study.

• For a student’s loans beneficiary seeking to re-apply for loans after dropping out from one programme/college/university) he/she must repay at least 25% of their previous loans before applying for a new loan. (Note: Payment of 25% of the previously granted loans is not a guarantee for new loan allocation).

3.3 Other Eligibility Criteria

• Loans shall be allocated in the order of established Neediness, and programme clustering.

• Continuing Students applying for loans for the first time must have completed ACSEE or other equivalent qualifications within Five (5) years,e. from 2016-2020 inclusive.

• All other applicants who secured admission to pursue various degree programmes in the academic year 2020/2021 must have completed their ACSEE or other equivalent qualifications within five (5) years,e.

from 2016-2020 inclusive.

4.0 PROGRAMME CLUSTERS

After establishing applicant’s neediness, and meeting requirements under sections 3.1 and 3.2 above, the following programme clusters will be used to determine the loans to be issued in priority order subject to availability of funds.

4.1Cluster I

Courses under this cluster include: –

• Education and Teaching in Science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics

• Health Sciences (Doctor of Medicine, Dental Surgery, Veterinary Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing, Midwifery, Prosthetics and Orthotics,

Physiotherapy, Biotechnology and Laboratory sciences, Radiotherapy Technology);

• Engineering Programmes (Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Mining, Mineral and Processing, Textile, Chemical and Processing, Agriculture, Food and Processing, Automobile, Industrial, Maritime Transportation, Marine Technology, Electronics and Telecommunication, and BioProcessing and Post-Harvest), Water and Irrigation, Petroleum and Gas, and electrical, Bachelor Degree in Aircraft and Maintenance Engineering, Bachelor Degree in Pilot Engineering and Bachelor of Bio-medical engineering Programme.

• Petroleum Geology, Petroleum Chemistry

• Agriculture, Forestry, Animal Sciences and Production Management

4.2Cluster II

Courses under this cluster include:

• Basic Science Programmes (BSc General, BSc in/with Applied

Zoology, Botanical, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Microbiology, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Aquatic Environmental Sciences and Conservation, Geology, Mathematics and Statistics, Environmental Sciences, Environmental Health, Wildlife and Conservation), ICT Legal and ICT and Programming, Information Systems and Network Management, Environmental, Urban Development and Industrial Metrology.

• Land Science       Programmes        (Architecture,         Landscape        and

Architecture, Interior Design, Building Survey, Building Economics, Urban and Regional Planning, Land Management and Valuation, and Geospatial Technology).

4.3 Cluster III

(i) Courses under this cluster include Business and Management Studies, Social Sciences, Arts, Humanities, Law and Legal Studies, Languages, Literature, Media and Communications Studies.

All other courses not listed in either of the clusters, will fall under Cluster III.

5.0 LOAN ITEMS, MEANS TESTING AND AMOUNTS TO BE ALLOCATED

HESLB may provide loans to cover all or some of the following items:-

• Meals, Accommodation and Incidentals (MAI)
• Tuition Fee (TF)
• Books and Stationery Expenses (BSE)
• Special Faculty Requirements (SFR)
• Research Expenses (RE)
• Field Practical Training (FPT)

                     5.1     Means Testing System

Means Testing (MT) will be used to determine applicants’ neediness for financial assistance. School Fees paid in CSEE, ACSEE or equivalent qualifications including diplomas is one of the factors considered to establish an individual’s ability to contribute to the costs of higher education. Other factors that are taken into consideration are orphaned, disability, sponsorship and poor family.

Therefore, the neediness shall be measured as a difference between total annual costs to pursue individual programme at respective Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and established applicant’s past ability to pay for secondary school education or diploma as an indication of the applicants’ ability to contribute to the costs of higher education.

5.2 Distribution of Loanable Items

Loans to successful applicants will be allocated starting with Meals, Accommodation and Incidentals (MAI); Tuition Fee (TF) then Books and Stationery Expenses (BSE), followed by Special Faculty Requirements (SFR), Research Expenses (RE) and finally Field Practical Training (FPT) based on the remaining amount from the preceding loan items.

5.3 Approved Tuition Fee Rates

Maximum applicable tuition fees for all successful loan applicants shall be pegged to the equivalent current-approved-highest-tuition-fees payable to Public Higher Education Institutions.

5.4 Continuing students who are loan beneficiaries

All continuing loan beneficiaries shall continue to receive their loans as per their original Means Test Grades upon submission of examination results/progress reports. All continuing loan beneficiaries SHOULD NOT RE-APPLY for loans.

5.5 Payment Mode: MAI, BSE, FPT and RE items shall be paid directly to students while TF and SFR shall be paid to the respective Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).

6.0 OVERSEAS LOAN APPLICANTS (UNDERGRADUATE AND POSTGRADUATE)

Eligible students for loans for 2020/2021 academic year, admitted to pursue studies overseas must fulfil General Eligibility Criteria set in Section 2.1 above.

In addition to the General Eligibility Criteria set in Section 3.2 above, only overseas applicants selected by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology will be eligible for top up stipend loans not exceeding USD 5400 per annum. The students have to be selected to pursue studies overseas under bilateral agreements between the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania and foreign governments.

7.0 OTHER CONDITIONS FOR ISSUANCE OF LOANS

7.1 Liability of Guarantors and Parents

Parents/Guarantors are responsible for confirmation of correctness (and accuracy) of information submitted in the application forms before signing. The guarantors are expected to ensure that loans are repaid and must be aware of the borrowers’ whereabouts until the loans are fully repaid. In case of default, guarantors shall be responsible to settle the due /unpaid

loan in full.

The Guarantor is required to append a photo and a certified copy either of the following Identification cards;

• National Identification card.
• Voter’s registration card.
• Driving License.
• Tanzanian Passport
• Zanzibar Resident ID

7.2 Loan Repayment

Upon completion or termination from higher education studies, a loan beneficiary shall be required to repay his/her loan through monthly deductions of not less than 15% of salary/income. Amount payable by a selfemployed beneficiary shall not be less than 100,000/= per month.

7.2.1 Loan Repayment Requirements

7.2.1.1 Value Retention Fee

To ensure sustainability of the loan scheme, a Value Retention Fee (VRF) equivalent to 6% per annum shall be charged from the outstanding loan balance upon completion of studies.

7.2.1.2 Loan Administration Fee (LA)

All students’ loans shall be subjected to 1% Loan administration fee charged once.

7.2.1.3 Penalty Fee (PF)

A loan beneficiary who fails to service his/her loan upon expiry of the grace period of 24 months after completion of studies, shall be charged a one-time-penalty at a tune of 10%.

8.0 INTER-UNIVERSITY AND INTERNAL TRANSFERS

HESLB shall not raise a duplicate loan payment to such students who voluntarily move to other HEIs. Upon receiving confirmation from relevant authorities, a loan transfer will be effected. Unless there is strong supporting clarification for late submission of transfer confirmation, no loan transfers will be made 120 days after release of first batch of admission. All Transfers will not trigger any change on the original loan amounts allocated to individual beneficiaries.  

List of Candidates admitted to Higher Learning Institutions

HESLB will consider loan application from students whose admissions have been approved and submitted by the Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU) and/or other relevant authorities including respective HEIs as the case may be.

9.0 MODE OF APPLICATION

All loan applications will be done through Online Loan Application and Management System (OLAMS). Applicants are REMINDED to use the same Form Four Index Numbers used while applying for admissions.

Upon completion of online application process, applicants shall be required to print out the application forms and Loan Agreements, obtain appropriate authentications, sign the forms, attach necessary documents and upload into OLAMS before submitting the same through EMS to:-

The Executive Director,   Higher Education Students’ Loans Board,   HESLB House, 1 Kilimo Street, TAZARA Area, Mandela Road,  P.O.Box 76068,

15471 Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Applicants are REMINDED to keep full sets of the loan application, attachments submitted, and EMS receipts used for mailing their applications to HESLB for easy tracking when necessary.

10.0 LOAN APPLICATION FEE

Applicants must pay a non-refundable, one-off application fee of TZS 30,000.00 through GePG vide NMB, CRDB, TPB, Vodacom M-PESA, TIGO PESA, and AIRTEL MONEY. For details visit: https://olas.heslb.go.tz  

11.0 Loan Application Deadline

The Loan Application window for 2020/2021 opens on July 20^th 2020 through August 31^st, 2020.

Publication of Successful Loan Applicants

A list of successful loan applicants with their corresponding allocations shall be published on the website: www.heslb.go.tz

12.0 APPEALS AGAINST AWARDED LOAN AMOUNTS

Applicants who are not satisfied with the allocations may appeal by completing relevant Online Appeal Forms. (Details to be provided later).

13.0  INQUIRIES AND COMPLAINTS

Applicants or loan beneficiaries with inquiries or complaints will have to follow procedures displayed in the loan application window.

14.0  POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS

Eligible students for loans for the 2020/2021 academic year, admitted to pursue Postgraduate Degree Programmes must fulfil the General Eligibility Criteria set in 3.2 above.

14.1 Postgraduate students (Academic Staff)

In addition to the General Eligibility Criteria, applicants must fulfil eligibility criteria specific to postgraduate applicants’ category, which are:

• They must hold a first Degree or an Advanced Diploma, with a minimum of Upper Second Class (for applicants pursuing Masters Degrees) or Master’s Degree with minimum of Upper Second Class (for applicants pursuing PhD degrees);

• They must be academic members of staff, admitted to pursue postgraduate studies on fulltime basis, at an accredited Higher Education Institution in Tanzania;

• They must have been officially nominated by the employer, and obtained endorsement by the Vice Chancellors/Principal/Provosts/head of the respective institution;

• They must have started to repay their previous loans at least for an unbroken period of twelve months, or a lump sum of the same instalments if he/she was previously a students’ loans beneficiary;

• The employer must have signed the Financial Agreement between the

Higher Education Students’ Loans Board and the Higher Education

Institution.

14.2 Postgraduate students admitted at the Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology (NM-AIST)

To strengthen national capacity in research, ICT and innovation, HESLB issues loans to students admitted to pursue Masters and PhD in Science related programmes courses at the Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology (NM-AIST).

Eligible students for loans for 2020/2021 academic year must fulfil General Eligibility Criteria set in 3.2 above.

In addition to the General Eligibility Criteria set in 3.2 above, applicants must fulfil eligibility specific requirements to postgraduate applicants in the NM-AIST category: –

• Must have been admitted at the Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology (NM-AIST) to pursue master’s or PhD programme in one of the under listed priority sectors:

• Life Sciences,
• Mathematical & Computer Science Engineering,  Information and Communication Science Engineering,
• Materials, Energy, Water and Environmental Sciences.

• Must have been employees of Public Institutions and worked for a minimum of two (2) years;

• Must be guaranteed by their employers with respect to repayment of the loans;

• Must have started to repay their previous loans at least for an unbroken period of twelve months, or a lump sum of twelve instalments, if they were previously Higher Education Students’ Loans Board’s beneficiaries.;

• Repayment for NM-AIST postgraduate students’ loans shall start immediately upon completion of the first year of study by monthly instalments deducted by employers from beneficiary’s salary and remitted to the Board.

14.3 Postgraduate students admitted at Law School of Tanzania

(LASCOT) Students

Law School students who are eligible for loans in the 2020/2021 academic year must meet the following conditions:

Must fulfil the General Eligibility Criteria set in Section 3.2 above.

In addition to the General Eligibility Criteria set in Section 3.2 above, applicants must fulfil eligibility criteria specific to the Postgraduate applicants at Law School of Tanzania (LASCOT) which are: –

• Must have graduated (with LLB Degree) not more than Five years back (i.e. from 2016 to 2020);

• Loans will be issued ONLY to NEEDY Applicants who were previous loan beneficiaries;

• An applicant (previous loans beneficiary) whose loan has matured must have paid all due instalments in full.

Loans for Law School students shall be issued to cover the following items:

• Books and Stationery expenses;

• Tuition Fee.

14.4 Applicable rates for Postgraduate Students

14.4.1 Meals, Accommodation and Incidentals (MAI)

HESLB may provide loans for Meals, Accommodation and Incidentals at the rate of TZS 10,000/= per day while on campus for theoretical instructions or in field for data collection.

14.4.2 Books and Stationery Expenses (BSE)

A maximum of TZS 500,000/= per annum for Books and Stationery may be granted to eligible students pursuing Masters and PhD.

14.4.3 Tuition Fee (TF)

HESLB may provide tuition fee loans at 100% rate based on the rates charged by the respective Higher Education Institution.

14.4.4 Research Expenses (RE)

HESLB may provide loans at 100% rate for Research expenses in all fields, based on the rates applicable at HLI as may be endorsed from time to time. Applicable rates include a maximum of TZS 2,000,000/= per annum for Master Degree programme and a maximum of TZS 5,000,000/= per annum for a PhD Degree programme.