Tanzania’s education loans go fully digital with new tech to end payment delays

Dar es Salaam. Thousands of university and college students in Tanzania can now breathe a sigh of relief following the launch of a mobile phone application designed to streamline access to higher education loans.

The new app, ‘HESLB APP’, eliminates delays and bureaucratic hurdles that have for years frustrated beneficiaries.

The mobile solution, launched on December 17, 2024, by the Minister for Education, Science, and Technology, Prof Adolf Mkenda, promises to simplify loan disbursements and enhance efficiency.

It is a game-changer for students who have often skipped classes, queued for hours, or faced administrative delays to access their funds.

“This app will revolutionise the way students access their loans. It reduces bureaucracy and ensures disbursements are timely and accurate,” Prof Mkenda said during the launch.

He added that the government, under President Samia Suluhu Hassan, remains committed to improving public services through digital innovations.

For years, beneficiaries like Christine Juma have faced significant challenges. Christine, a third-year student, recalled how failing to sign for her second disbursement cost her dearly.

“I thought I could manage the funds I had until the next disbursement. But when I went to sign for the third instalment, I was told my money had been sent back to HESLB because I hadn’t signed within 30 days,” she explained.

“I followed all procedures to recover it, but I still received only one installment instead of two. With this app, such inconveniences will be avoided because I can sign on time through my phone.”For students like Nickson Bwansika, the app is a welcome relief after years of missing classes to complete disbursement procedures.

Mr Bwansika, a student at the Institute of Finance Management (IFM), described the frustration. “Before this app, you had to sign documents with the university loan officer, sometimes waiting up to a week. It meant skipping classes just to make sure you got your loan,” he said.

“Now, we will avoid all that stress and focus more on our studies.”

HESLB’s ICT Director, Mr Bahati Singa, explained that the app will replace the manual fingerprint signing system and reduce congestion at university loan officers’ offices by 80 percent.

“The app will allow students to access all loan components – meals, accommodation, and tuition – digitally. Transactions will be completed within 24 hours,” Mr Singa stated.

The mobile app, developed by local ICT experts, is part of a broader digital disbursement project under HESLB’s ‘Digital Disbursement System’ (DiDiS).

Out of the $4 million (Sh9 billion) allocated for ICT projects under the Higher Education for Economic Transformation (HEET) project, $1 million was invested in developing the app to ensure seamless implementation.

HESLB Executive Director, Dr Bill Kiwia, emphasised that the app aims to make all loan-related processes efficient and paperless.

“Ninety percent of HESLB operations are already digital. With this app, we are now working towards 100 percent. It will transform loan disbursement and repayment,” Dr Kiwia noted.

The HESLB APP is available for smartphones on both Android and iOS platforms. Students can register and access services such as loan disbursement and repayment tracking with ease.

“Beneficiaries can sign for their funds, monitor their loan status, and even begin repayments digitally,” Dr Kiwia added. He encouraged both current and former beneficiaries to embrace the app.

Student leaders also see the app as a solution to long-standing complaints about delays and inefficiencies. Mr Bwansika, who serves as a student loans officer at IFM, described the number of grievances they receive daily.

“Students have been struggling to get their funds on time. Through this app, those problems will disappear. It’s a huge relief because most students have smartphones, so accessing the system will be easy,” he said.

For Christine and many other students, this digital solution offers hope and convenience. “I believe this app will eliminate unnecessary delays and give us control over our loans,” she concluded.

Prof Mkenda urged students to ensure they provide accurate information when applying for loans to avoid future challenges.

“We want to ensure all deserving students benefit from HESLB loans. Accuracy and honesty in applications will help speed up the process,” he said.

With the rollout of the HESLB APP, Tanzania joins other nations embracing digital solutions to enhance service delivery.

For higher education students, it marks the beginning of a smoother and more transparent journey in accessing their much-needed funds.