By Alfred Zacharia
The Higher Education Students’ Loans Board (HESLB) has opened its application window for student loans and grants for the 2025/26 academic year, with the government allocating a record TZS 917 billion to support first-year and continuing students in both intermediate and higher learning institutions.
HESLB Executive Director Dr. Bill Kiwia announced the development on Wednesday, saying the application window opened on June 15 and will remain open until August 31, 2025.
Speaking at a press briefing in Dar es Salaam, Dr. Kiwia said the funding will benefit an estimated 252,773 students, including about 88,000 freshers expected to join colleges and universities across the country.
He urged students, parents and guardians to carefully go through the 2025/26 loan guidelines published on the HESLB website—www.heslb.go.tz—to ensure that they submit correct and complete applications.
“This year’s budget reflects the government’s unwavering commitment to expanding access to higher education. We urge applicants to read the guidelines thoroughly before submitting their forms,” he said.
Dr. Kiwia further revealed that over the past four years of President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration, the government has invested TZS 2.7 trillion in higher education loans, enabling thousands of Tanzanians to pursue their academic goals.
To facilitate smooth service delivery during the application period, the board has set up a customer service centre reachable via 0736 66 55 33, and a WhatsApp line (0739 66 55 33, for messages only), open from 8:00am to 4:00pm on weekdays.
Meanwhile, Dr Kiwia said over 700 students who excelled in science subjects will benefit from the Samia Scholarship, a government-funded grant scheme aimed at promoting academic excellence in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
He encouraged early applications to avoid last-minute disruptions, stating, “We strongly urge parents and guardians to start the process now rather than waiting for the final days, which may lead to submission delays or errors.”
The HESLB was established to facilitate equitable access to higher education by offering loans and grants to eligible and needy Tanzanian students.