Malawi Freedom Network 
Reported by Raymond Edward Daud and Naomi Salimu
University of Malawi (UNIMA) students are facing growing uncertainty over their education loans as the Higher Education Students Loans and Grants Board (HESLGB) is yet to release the university’s provisional loan list.
The delay comes a week after HESLGB released loan lists for students from other public universities, leaving UNIMA students without clarity on whether their applications have been successful.
The uncertainty has intensified after the board set August 29, 2026, as the deadline for students to appeal their loan allocation decisions.
For students who have not yet seen their names on a provisional list, the situation has raised concerns over how they will know whether they are eligible to appeal before the deadline.
Chanco News contacted HESLGB Communication and Marketing Manager Millie Kasunda for clarification. However, Kasunda referred questions concerning UNIMA students to the university’s Dean of Students.
“Ask the Dosa for UNIMA, they have the details,” Kasunda said.
Attempts to obtain clarification from UNIMA Dean of Student Affairs Dr. Jonas Mwatseteza were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to messages seeking an update on the delayed loan list.
The UNIMA Students’ Representative Council (SRC) Secretary General, Trust Msiyambiri, also did not respond to inquiries on the matter.
The delay is particularly concerning for students who depend on government loans to meet university costs, following the recent increase in fees at public universities.
Joseph Ng’ambi, president of the Mathematics and Statistics Society at UNIMA, said students are worried that some could be forced to withdraw from their studies if they fail to secure financial support.
“The majority of us rely on these loans. Some may be forced to withdraw once they discover, after the appeals deadline, that their application was unsuccessful,” Ng’ambi said.
The situation has left many UNIMA students waiting for official communication on their loan status while the August 29 appeals deadline draws closer.
Students are now calling for the university and HESLGB to release the provisional list or provide clear guidance on the status of their applications before the deadline.
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