University of Rwanda graduates
The Higher Education Council (HEC) has selected 5794 high school graduates for the study loans for the University of Rwanda in academic year 2023/2024.
This confirms the information that circulated in the past according to which the number of students to be given scholarship would be reduced compared to the past years, due to decline in the budget allocated to the Ministry of Education in Rwanda.
In the last academic year, 46,000 students won the high school exams while 22,000 applied for the University of Rwanda scholarships.
Among the 22,000 scholarship applicants, only 7393 students were admitted and the University explained that it was due to less capability of receiving a large number of students.
Among the admitted students, Candidates equal to 6630 have applied for study loans while the other 685 didn’t.
UR graduation
This resulted the total of 5794 candidates eligible for loans.
In the students eligible for loans, 4,430 will go to Science, Technology, and Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) students while the other 1,364 are from Non-STEM courses.
Loan-selection criteria was 82% score for students in STEM courses and 70% for non-STEM students.
The Director General of the Higher Educational Council, Dr. Rose Mukankomeje told KT Press that the number of eligible students was decided in accordance of the Budget given to the Ministry of Education.
She said, “This year, students were successful with high grades, but due to the country’s resources, a total of 5,794 was selected to be given loans in accordance with the funds allocated by the government to undergraduate students.”
On the reason for selecting large number of STEM students, Mukankomeje said that it is due to the National Strategy for Transformation (NST1) that calls for an increase in the number of students studying science related courses.
“As per NST1, the government asked us to increase the number of students going to STEM courses. It is in this line that we have decided to give loans to all 4430 thousand STEM students who applied for loans,” said Dr. Mukankomeje.
For more than 39,000 students who did not have the opportunity to go to university on government loans while they had successfully passed the secondary school examination, Dr. Mukankomeje said that they can go to private universities in Rwanda, because they are available and ready to receive them.
So far there are 40 private universities in Rwanda.
Students who receive government scholarships to continue their studies, include; high school graduates for Bachelors, undergraduates for Masters, and those who pursue PhDs.
Dr. Mukankomeje agrees that the money to pay for students who will continue their studies in the Masters level is prepared and they are only waiting for their list from Ministry of Health.
The communiqué of HEC of May 28 states that the results of the loan application are available through the following ‘link’: https://mis.hec.gov.rw/bursary/check-result
In order for the loan applicants to get the answer, is required to enter the registration number visible on his/her admission letter.
The announcement further states that the criteria for granting these loans are the student’s score in the High school final exam and what applied for, where both are at a percentage of 50% each.
Those who were selected to receive a loan are requested not to change what they have been given to study by the University of Rwanda, because that may cause them to lose the loan.
Students who will wish to appeal are welcomed to the HEC office from May 29 to June 7, 2023, as well as via email.
The start of classes in the University of Rwanda is scheduled on June 5, 2023.
