Needy students at the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) say they are still receiving K175, 000 upkeep loan allowance per semester instead of K280, 000 which was adjusted by the Higher Education Students Loans and Grants Board (HESLGB) in April this year.
One of the students, Innocent Chimdima who is doing a Bachelor of Science in Land Economy, told this publication in an interview that the amount they are receiving is not enough to meet their daily needs at the school.
“As students, due to current Malawi’s economy, there are numerous challenges that we are facing every day. For example, meals on campus are about K2,000 up which is very difficult for someone who relies on a loan.
“We were promised to be given K560,000 per academic year which is K280,000 per semester. At least that was a good amount for us to survive. We were surprised to see that our bank accounts have been accredited by the same K175,000. This left all students in awe up to the extent of saying the president must intervene if not then he made a false promise to the nation and the needy students.
“Even if for someone who stays off campus, still this K175,000 is not enough to run for the whole semester honestly.
“We are not happy with this development and it should be looked into,” he said.
He added: “We need our voices to be heard that is all. They should help us fight for it till it is possible. We just need their support and if possible to bail out some needy students who are seriously in need of help in all corners of life, that will make us happy.”
Meanwhile, the concerned students have organized an open-air dubbed ‘Ndashota ndi 210K” where they will voice out their frustration on the issue.
