21 Feb 2022

Due to varied reasons, scholarships for 1 273 government sponsored students at various tertiary institutions were discontinued during the last academic year.

Minister of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology, Dr Douglas Letsholathebe said the funds that were earmarked to pay for the discontinued students was over P242 million.

Answering a question from Molepolole North legislator, Mr Oabile Regoeng, Dr Letsholathebe explained that 606 of the discontinued students were studying at the University of Botswana (UB), 52 at Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN), 91 at Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST).

He added that 207 were studying at Botho College, five at ABM, 39 at Gaborone Institute of Professional Studies (GIPS), 185 at Limkokwing University of Creative Technology and 88 were studying at Ba Isago University. He further revealed that currently UB has to date enrolled 17 406 students.

He said out of the total number, 5 035 (23 per cent of the total number) have secured on campus accommodation. Off campus students, Dr Letsholathebe said were given a greater allowance (off campus allowance) compared to those accommodated on campus to allow them to acquire their own accommodation and address other social needs.

Furthermore, Dr Letsholathebe said students were paid their allowance on the 27th of every month. So far, Dr Letsholathebe said he was pleased with how government sponsored students were being serviced.

However, he said challenges were usually encountered at the beginning of academic years, resulting in students receiving their allowances late. He said the delays were anticipated to among others delay in submission of students records from schools to Department of Tertiary Education Fund (DTEF), and other arrangements involving banks.

Dr Letsholathebe said, “We are engaging the use of technology to improve the situation.” However, Dr Letsholathebe said even though using technology would quicken the processes, the system was not immune to challenges, adding that their systems recently experienced hiccups.

Despite the glitches, the minister assured Parliament that everything was under control. He said using technology would save time and ease delivery of records from schools to DTEF.

MP Regoeng had wanted to know the current students’ enrollment at the University of Botswana (UB) and to establish the number of students who had been provided with on-campus accommodation and the arrangements that UB had made for those who could not get accommodation within Campus. ENDS