HESFB Student Loan Scheme in Uganda: Eligible Courses and Application

What the HESFB Loan Covers

Uganda's Higher Education Students' Financing Board (HESFB) loan is a cost sharing arrangement, not a full scholarship. It pays your tuition fees, functional fees, and research fees, plus aids and appliances if you have a disability, according to the Ministry of Education and Sports . It does not normally cover medical care or other living costs, and accommodation and meals are included only if funds permit, so budget for those separately.

HESFB was established in February 2014 by an Act of Parliament to widen access to higher education for Ugandan students who would otherwise struggle to pay academic fees. The scheme now sits under the Ministry of Education and Sports as the Higher Education Students Financing Secretariat, though HESFB remains the name most students search for.

Which Courses Get Priority

The scheme favors Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) undergraduate diploma and degree programs, along with a shorter list of priority humanities courses. Students with disabilities qualify regardless of their chosen discipline. If your course sits outside the priority STEM and humanities list, check with HESFB before you apply, since funding for non-priority courses is far less certain.

Who Can Apply

• You hold Ugandan citizenship.

• You are admitted to an accredited public university, a private chartered university, or another accredited tertiary institution.

• You are entering first year or continuing your studies, depending on funding available that cycle.

• You show financial need.

The Ministry also weighs district quota, gender, socioeconomic need, and equity when it allocates loans each cycle, so meeting the basic eligibility criteria does not guarantee funding if demand outstrips the budget.

The Cost of Borrowing: Value Retention Fee

HESFB charges what it calls a value retention fee rather than conventional interest, set at 7% per year on the reducing balance. This fee protects the fund from losing value to inflation over the years a loan stays unpaid, and it accrues on whatever balance you still owe, so paying down your loan faster keeps the total cost lower.

How Repayment Works

You get a one year grace period after you finish your program before repayment starts. The maximum repayment period stretches to twice the length of your study program, giving longer degree programs more time to clear the debt than shorter ones.

Documents You Need

• Admission letter from your institution

• National ID

• Academic transcripts

• Birth certificate

• Passport photo

• Proof of processing fee payment

Step by Step: Applying Through ILMIS

1. Create an account on the ILMIS portal , the official system for HESFB applications, processing, disbursement, and repayment.

2. Fill in the online application form and upload your scanned documents.

3. Save your progress if needed and submit once every mandatory field and document is complete.

4. Wait for review, which weighs your course priority, financial need, and district and gender quotas alongside available funding.

For the 2025/26 academic year, the Ministry issued a formal call for loan applications through its official channels, and each cycle follows the same pattern. Watch the ILMIS portal and Ministry announcements for your intake year's specific dates, since HESFB does not keep one fixed deadline every year.

Plan Around What the Loan Does Not Cover

Since HESFB pays academic fees, and accommodation and meals only when funds permit, factor in those living costs before you commit to a program far from home. Many students combine the HESFB loan with a bursary, family support, or part time work to cover these gaps, since the loan alone will not stretch to your full cost of living.