Students Accused of Getting Double Loans

Zanzibar Higher Education Loan Board

THE Zanzibar Ministry of Education has said that students seeking for higher education are not allowed to get loans from both the isles and union loan boards.

"We discovered that about more than 237 students were awarded loans by Zanzibar Higher Education Loan Board (ZHELB), also received funds from Higher Education Students' Loans Board (HESLB).

This is unacceptable," said the deputy minister for Education and vocational training Ms Zahra Ali Hamad. "I have been tracing students who get double loan, also hunting for graduates who are working to pay back the loan they received. Students and parents should know that loans are revolving funds, aimed at helping many students," she said.

The deputy minister emphasized that Zanzibar students should decide to receive loan from either HESLB or ZHELB, not both, so that "the available funds can benefit many. There is no bias in awarding loans, any students is entitled to get the loan as long he/she meets the requirements."

However, Zahra confirmed that students seeking to study Religion, Arabic, and Public Administration do not qualify for the loans because "we have many unemployed graduates in the fields."