GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA FOR ISSUANCE OF STUDENTS’ LOANS AND GRANTS (HELSB) FOR ACADEMIC YEAR 2021/2022

GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA FOR ISSUANCE OF  STUDENTS’ LOANS AND GRANTS (HELSB) FOR ACADEMIC  YEAR 2021/2022

Important Instructions to All Loan Applicants

GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA FOR ISSUANCE OF  STUDENTS’ LOANS AND GRANTS (HELSB) FOR ACADEMIC  YEAR 2021/2022

All loan applicants for Academic Year 2021/2022 are required to:-

(i) Read and follow application procedures stated in these guidelines;

(ii) Ensure that the Form Four Index Number provided when applying for 

loan matches with the one used in your application for admission to 

University or College;

(iii) Applicants who seated for Form Four Examinations more than once 

are required to list all Form Four Index Numbers used while applying 

for loan;

(iv) Ensure that all documents submitted to support your application 

have been certied by relevant authorities as specied in these 

guidelines;

(v) Ensure that all birth/death certicates are certied by the 

Registration, Insolvency and Trusteeship Agency (RITA), or Zanzibar 

Civil Status Registration Agency (ZCSRA) “Wakala wa Usajili wa 

Matukio ya Kijamii Zanzibar “or designated ofcer(s) to ascertain 

their validity;

(vi) Ensure all Birth certicates for students who were born in foreign 

countries and Death Certicates for Tanzanian Parents who died in 

foreign countries are certied by respective Embassies located in the 

United Republic of Tanzania; 

(vii) Ensure that your loan application form is dully lled and signed 

before submission;

(viii) Applications must be completed with correct (and accurate) details;

(ix) Each applicant is advised to keep a copy of complete package of 

the application form submitted to HESLB for future reference (if 

required) and

(x) All applicants must strictly observe the set application deadline.

GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA FOR ISSUANCE OF  STUDENTS’ LOANS AND GRANTS (HELSB) FOR ACADEMIC  YEAR 2021/2022

OVERVIEW

The Higher Education Students’ Loans Board (HESLB) was established by HESLB 

Act (CAP 178) and became effective in July 2005. HESLB is mandated to, 

among others, issue loans and or grants to needy and eligible students. 

Application window for Academic Year 2021/2022 will be open from 9th July, 

2021 through 31st August, 2021.

3.0 ELIGIBILITY

SHESLB Act and regulations provide for General Eligibility and Criteria for 

applicants seeking loans. NEEDY and ELIGIBLE applicants must apply for loans 

and/or grants to meet part or full costs of their education.

3.1 Needy Applicant

In addition to general eligibility, additional criteria dene NEEDY 

applicant who is not above 35 years of age at the time of application, 

also must be/have a poor:-

(i) Orphan who has lost both parents or partial orphan who has 

lost one parent. An applicant has to produce a death 

certicate approved by RITA or ZCSRA or respective Embassies 

located in the United Republic of Tanzania (URT);

(ii) Disabled student with disability shall have to complete and 

present a fully Self-Disability Form (SDF-1) to be approved by the 

District Medical Ofcer (DMO), Regional Medical Ofcer (RMO) 

or any designated medical expert with recognized afliations. 

(iii) Parents with disability shall have to present a Parent Disability 

Form (PDF-2) to be approved by the District Medical Ofcer 

(DMO), Regional Medical Ofcer (RMO) or any designated 

medical expert with recognized afliations.

(iv) From lower income household and/or marginalized 

community whose secondary school or diploma education 

was partially or fully sponsored or supported by recognized 

institutions, and/or a community group, and individual(s), who 

can present evidence of such support.

 All applicants under this sponsorship category, will have to ask 

their respective sponsors to ll a Standard Corporate Sponsorship Form (SCSF-3) which shall be downloaded from HESLB 

website and upload it along with other attachments in the 

application forms. All SCSF-3 will have to be authenticated by a dully 

approved signatory and owner of the respective organization.

(v) From lower income household and/or marginalized 

community, which is under Special Economic Support 

Programs such as Tanzania Social Action Fund (TASAF). They 

should provide the program beneciary’s number and attach 

TASAF ID.

3.2 General Eligibility Criteria as Pronounced by the Act

General Eligibility criteria require an applicant to meet the 

following: -

(i) Must be Tanzanian;

(ii) Must have applied for a loan through the Online Loan 

Application and Management System (OLAMS);

(iii) Must have been admitted to an accredited Higher Education 

Institution on full time basis except for Students Admitted at the 

Open University of Tanzania (OUT);

(iv) Must not have funding from other sources to nance his/her 

education;

(v) For undergraduate applicants, must not have a formal or 

regular income from employment, either public or private 

sector. 

(vi) Must be a continuing student with results/progress reports to 

show that he/she has passed the examinations necessary to 

enable him/her to advance to the following year or stage of 

study;

(vii) For a student’s loan beneciary seeking to re-apply for loan 

after dropping out from one programme/college/university) 

he/she must repay at least 25% of the previous loan amount 

before applying for a new loan. Payment of 25% of the 

previously granted loans is not a guarantee for new loans allocations.

GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA FOR ISSUANCE OF  STUDENTS’ LOANS AND GRANTS (HELSB) FOR ACADEMIC  YEAR 2021/2022

Additional Eligibility Criteria

(i) Loans shall be allocated in the order of established Neediness, 

and programme clustering.

(ii) Continuing Students applying for loans for the rst time must 

have completed ACSEE or other equivalent qualications 

within Five (5) years, i.e. from 2017-2021 inclusive.

(iii) All other applicants who will secure admission to pursue 

various degree programmes in the academic year 2021/2022 

must have completed their ACSEE or other equivalent 

qualications within ve (5) years, i.e. 2017-2021 inclusive.

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