Minister Muyingo says Government is looking at the University scholarship abolishment proposals

Government is studying proposals from key education stakeholders calling for the abolishing of government scholarships at the University.

Recently, Makerere University council, the supreme governing body of the university passed a resolution asking government to abolish government the scholarship scheme and replace it with government ls.

The university was responding to the queries raised by the 2016 Visitation Committee chaired by the late Dr. Abel Rwendeire. The committee recommended that Makerere implements a diversified funding model in order to make the institution financially sustainable and reduce reliance on government funding.

In response, the university said that while the university had already embarked on internal interventions to increase its revenue such as Makerere Holdings Company, endowment fund, the council advised government to consider abolishing the existing scholarships and loan the money to all university student.

Now, the Higher Education State Minister, John Chrysostom Muyingo, says government is studying the proposal, arguing that government cannot implement the proposal with conducting several studies.

He however, says government is still interested in both the loan scheme and the merit government schemes and that funding had been provided for both.

Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba, the former Makerere University Vice Chancellor, says such a decision to abolish scholarships at university must be consultative.

He argues that even if money was diverted to the loan scheme, government cannot be sure that the students who benefit from them will repay the money owning to lack of jobs.

Aggrey David Kibenge, the Under Secretary in the Education and Sports Ministry, says government will follow systematic processes to analyze such a decision and all recommendations by the Visitation Committee

~URN