Busia County University and College students who submitted their applications in the Financial Year 2019/2020 are set to benefit from Sh11million courtesy of the county Higher Education Loans Board (HELB).
Busia County Chief Officer Education and Vocational Training, Daniel Mogoria made the reassurance to the applicants during the Teso South University and College Students Association (TSUCSAS) Special general meeting at Lukolis in Teso South Constituency.
He further noted that the same scenario will apply to recipients of Afya Education Fund which targets students from the county pursuing nursing and clinical medicine at the Kenya Medical Training College.
Mogoria said the move to implement suspended applications in the preceding financial year is historic.
He said, “This followed successful talks between officials from the County Education department led by the Education Executive Grephas Opata and HELB Chief Executive Officer, CPA Charles Ringera.
“Following this development the Busia County Education Support Committee that sat last week agreed that the new HELB applicants will now submit their applications after July 1st, 2021,” he said.
On the Afya Education Fund he said the 2019/2020 Financial Year applicants have also received a reprieve as Sh2.5million is set to be released anytime. He noted that the first beneficiaries of the Afya Education Fund received between Sh40, 000 and Sh45, 000.
Mogoria said besides the two funds –HELB and Afya Education Fund, the county is also offering scholarships to three students picked from each of the 35 wards to undertake specialized courses including Medicine, Engineering and Law to boost the number of qualified
professionals in the fields.
“In the first interviews we undertook as a department only 64 students out of 105 who met the threshold. We expect to fill the number once we issue forms to new applicants from 1st May,” he stated.
By Melechezedeck Ejakait and Mark Anyang
