Government challenged to pay loans to eligible students at UNZA

Chilubi Member of Parliament Mulenga Fube has challenged government to urgently find money to pay loans to about 8 000 eligible first-year students at the University of Zambia (UNZA).

The Higher Education Loans and Scholarships Board (HELSB) recently disclosed it has failed to award loans to 8 004 eligible first-year students at the university for the 2021/2022 academic year citing budgetary constraints.

But Mr. Fube has wondered where the 80 percent students left out will get the needed resources saying most of them may be coming from vulnerable families and that the country too needs for its own national development.

Mr. Fube adds that the budget constraints have always existed saying they cannot be used as an excuse especially that this is less than half number of eligible students that applied in a government that has adequate experience in governance matters and made a lot of promises prior to the elections.