Malawi govt cuts university students  loans budget, 2000 risk expulsion

At least 2 000 students in government run universities risk expulsion for lack of fees after Treasury cut a K11.9 billion budget for the loans.

Chris Chisoni, executive director of Higher Education Students Loans and Grants Board told a parliamentary cluster committee meeting on Monday in Lilongwe that the K11.9 billion budget, which the board budgeted for 17, 000 students, had been slashed.

He said only K9 billion has been approved, leaving out K2.9 billion which he said could have catered for 2, 000 students.

The students to be affected are from the Chancellor College, Polytechnic, College of Medicine, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Malawi University of Science and Technology, Kamuzu College of Nursing and Mzuzu University.

Education expert Steve Sharra has urged universities to explore ways of generating money on their own in the wake of dwindling government resources.