Minister of Education Bright Msaka has assured Malawians that no university student will be denied access to higher education because of school fees, saying government has strengthened the student loans programme to support deserving learners.
Speaking to journalists at Parliament after presenting a ministerial statement, Msaka said government is working closely with the Ministry of Finance to ensure the Higher Education Students’ Loans and Grants Board is adequately funded to assist students who cannot afford university fees.
“As of today, it costs about K8 million on average to educate one university student, but the student is only required to contribute about K1.3 million,” said Msaka.
He acknowledged that many families still struggle to raise even smaller amounts for tuition.
“Let me tell you one thing, here in Malawi, even if the fees were K200,000, some students would still not afford them. That is why the board was formed—to take those circumstances into consideration,” he said.
The minister stressed that government’s priority is to ensure that every deserving student has access to financial support.
“What we have done, in collaboration with the Minister of Finance, is to ensure that the Students’ Loans Board is adequately funded so that all students in need can access loans. No university student will be left behind as far as school fees are concerned,” he assured.
Msaka also acknowledged the financial challenges facing public universities, saying the Ministry of Finance is aware of the situation and is committed to supporting the institutions.
“We have to make our universities work. We have to provide quality education in our universities. We can’t allow them to close,” he said.
On infrastructure development, the minister said government remains committed to completing secondary schools whose construction began with support from the United States government during the previous administration.
According to Msaka, more than 250 secondary schools were initiated under the programme. While some have been completed, over 60 percent remain unfinished and are at various stages of construction.
He further said government has not abandoned plans to expand higher education through the establishment of new public universities, including the proposed Mombera University, Bangula University, Monkey Bay University and Nkhotakota University, saying the vision was first championed by the late former President Bingu wa Mutharika.
Msaka said expanding access to quality higher education is critical if Malawi is to achieve the aspirations of Malawi 2063.
“To achieve Malawi 2063, we have to make sure university education is accessible and of high quality so that our graduates can compete internationally,” he said.
The minister added that while university fees have increased over the years, government is determined to ensure that financial constraints do not force students to abandon their studies.
He noted that although there were instances in the past when fee adjustments reached as much as 200 percent, increases in recent years have been more moderate, with 2023 recording the lowest adjustment.
Msaka reiterated government’s commitment to ensuring that no student drops out of university because of financial difficulties.
