Ministry to reopen opportunity to apply for government student loans

Ministry of Higher Education has announced their decision to re-open submission to apply for government student loans after re-evaluating the policy under which the loans will be granted.

While 993 candidates applied for the 242 available slots, only 79 applicants were approved. 902 candidates who applied for the loans were qualified due to failure to follow procedure and guidelines during submission.

Speaking at a press conference held on Monday afternoon, Minister of Higher Education Dr. Ibrahim Hassan said while 163 slots still remain available, submissions to apply for the slots will be re-opened on Tuesday. However, the period allocated for submission was not mentioned.

"The opportunity is re-opened for those interested in seeking higher education abroad, to select countries decided by the government. We have included all the information on the announcement", said the Minister.

A portal was previously established to submit applications for the loan. The Minister revealed that the ministry is working with National Center for Information Technology (NCIT) to allow the qualified applicants to be granted access to their previous application for ease of amendment and submission. The minister also noted that changes are being brought to the portal such that applicants are given an indication if the application is incomplete at time of submission.