Kampala International University, Dar es Salaam Constituent College has devoted to a social corporate responsibility scheme aimed at helping low income undergraduate students families countrywide to access higher education.
The scheme is aimed at benefiting 1700 students in the next academic year set to kick-off this October.
The University Vice Chancellor (VC) Prof Mohammad Ndaula told the media editors mid this week in Dar es Salaam that the plan was a progressive bursary scheme in which the university will be sponsoring a number of students.
The scholarship intends to cover 50 per cent of the required tuition and consolidated fee for the 2-3 years’ undergraduate duration courses and 40 percent of the required tuition and consolidated fee of courses of 4-5 years duration course studies in medical sciences.
“The university will provide opportunity to the needy students from unprivileged families with financial incapacity to pay for higher education, especially those enrolled in private institutions.
We will work in collaboration with Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU) and Higher education Loans Board (HLSB) to help us identify 10 most needy students from all districts countrywide to be enrolled under the scheme” Prof Ndaula said.
He however said the institution delayed to initiate the programme, saying administrative and technical wheels were some of the drawback holding back the initiative in the first instance.
The university will be spending over Sh2.8 billion annually in the scheme for financing new enrollments of 1700 undergraduates.
He said such a commitment required financial stability and legal requirements which have all been cleared, he said.
Earlier in the same event KIU Director for Marketing and Public Relations Mr Thomas Somme said application for the scholarship positions will begin soon as the university advertises for its next academic year.
Besides the coverage of tuition fee, the scholarship will also cover all examination process.
Illegible undergraduates for the scholarships will need to be Tanzanian citizen residing in his original district.
“We are part of the community and must balance between the business and welfare of the society by ensuring that we uplift the lives of the majority community through education” he said.
He also clarified that all applicants must first qualify to be admitted to a course of study at Kampala International University and will be required to apply through TCU Central Admission System (CAS).