By Aisha Amidu
Higher Education Students Loans and Grants Board (HESLGB) has urged Polytechnic needy students to apply for the 2020\2021 new academic year loan.
The board says the 2019\2020 approved list of loan applicants, which was released in November last year, will not be used in the 2020/21 academic year, hence the urge for the students to apply for the loans for new academic year.
In an interview with Malawi News Agency (MANA) HESLGB Executive Director, Chris Chisoni, clarified that the approved list was of 2019/2020 financial budget.
This has happened apparently due to the unexpected closure of the college following the fire that gutted down the institution’s Nyika Hostel, destroying its top floor on November 26, last year.
“We are in a new financial year of 2020/2021, the approved list which was released was for the previous year of which the poly students did not catch up as they have been left behind with one academic year compared to others,” he said.
He added that HESLGB will only consider those that have applied for 2020/2021 academic loan and those who will not apply will be left out.
Commenting on the matter, the Dean of Students at the Polytechnic, Luciano Ndalama said students should not confuse themselves as applying for the loan is done only once on each academic year.
“This should not be seen as re-applying as the students are supposed to apply once in each and every academic year. The loan which the students are applying for is for next academic year,” said Ndalama.
The unexpected closure of the school in November has caused shifts in opening dates of the institution. The dates were shifted from June 2020 to August 2020.
