More than 33,000 Malawians approved for student loans amid gender gap

More than 33,000 needy and eligible students have been provisionally approved for funding under the 2026/27 academic year loan cycle, as the Higher Education Students Loans and Grants Board (HESLGB) revealed it had been hit with unprecedented demand for financial support.

The Board confirmed that 33,25

8 students have provisionally secured funding, after processing a staggering 46,386 applications – a 23.9 percent surge on the previous year, according to HESLGB spokesperson Mercy Chijere.

Chijere said the vast majority of applications came from students enrolled in generic programmes at public higher education institutions, with 36,195 applications submitted from that category alone.

A further 8,328 applications came from students studying through Open Distance and eLearning (ODeL) programmes, while 3,466 applications were received from students at private higher education institutions, she said.

But the figures also exposed a striking gender imbalance among applicants.

Of the total applications processed, 27,894 came from male students, compared with just 17,386 from their female counterparts – a gap of more than 10,000 applications.

The surge in demand underscores the growing financial pressure facing Malawian students, with increasing numbers of learners turning to the Board for help meeting the rising costs associated with pursuing higher education.

The provisional approval of 33,258 students means a substantial proportion of applicants will now go on to receive support during the 2026/27 academic year, though funding remains subject to the Board’s final processes and requirements being met.