Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
Higher Education Minister Professor Nkandu Luo
Higher Education Minister Nkandu Luo says government has approved 3, 050 university bursary applications from the initial 3, 983 applications received representing a 76 percent rise in the bursaries scheme for university students.
Delivering a ministerial statement in parliament, Prof. Luo says there was an increase in the number of applicants in the scheme than the initial 2009 students that government budgeted for.
Prof. Luo says after thorough scrutiny of the applications, her ministry identified the eligible students and engaged the ministry of finance in order to find a solution to the problem that could have left some students out of the university.
She says through support from the ministry of finance, her ministry approved 544 appeals in march this year, for the first year students.
Prof. Luo adds that another additional 442 appeals were approved in May with the final batch of 135 appeals approved in June, bringing the number of additional sponsored students to 1,041.
Meanwhile Prof. Luo has stated that in as much as the patriotic front through her ministry strives to be pro poor and support the vulnerable learners with support, students who have been offered government sponsorship to desist from vices that will hinder their studies but apply themselves fully in their academic programs.