BY SIFISO NHLABATSI
LOBAMBA- Government is set to increase the number of students benefiting from tertiary education scholarships in the 2026/27 financial year, with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security announcing that up to 4 500 students could be accommodated under the programme.
The announcement was made by Minister of Labour and Social Security Phila Buthelezi while presenting the ministry’s first quarter performance report before the House of Assembly Portfolio Committee.
The Minister said the increase in scholarship beneficiaries had been made possible by improved management of student cohorts over the past years, which resulted in a reduction in the number of continuing students and created space for new beneficiaries.
He explained that in previous years the number of students admitted under the scholarship programme had declined significantly, at one stage dropping to about 2 000 students. This had raised concerns, prompting the ministry to gradually increase the intake to between 3 000 and 4 000 students.
According to Buthelezi, many of those students had since completed their studies, allowing government to accommodate more first-year students during the current academic year.
“This year we will be able to accommodate to over 4 500 students, which shows an increase of about 1 000 students,” the Minister said.
He, however, cautioned that the increased intake would not necessarily become a permanent annual figure, as a higher number of students entering the scholarship system could create financial pressure in future years.
The Minister said government had relied on adjusting admission requirements to accommodate more deserving students within the available budget.
He revealed that the scholarship cut-off point had been reduced from 30 points to 29 points following advice from the Pre-Service Tertiary Education Study Loans Committee.
“Those who have been interviewed and were on 30 points will proceed, and we will now interview those on 29 points so that we can accommodate the increased numbers for first years,” Buthelezi said.
He added that most tertiary institutions would be able to absorb students who qualified under the revised cut-off point, except for one institution which lacked sufficient infrastructure and classroom capacity to take in additional students.
The Minister said the scholarship budget for the 2026/27 financial year remained at E700 million, covering expenses such as tuition, meals, accommodation, personal allowances, uniforms, teaching practice, projects, internships, books and field allowances.
During the first quarter, government had already spent E32.2 million from the scholarship budget, with the balance standing at E667.7 million.
Buthelezi explained that the initial expenditure was lower because most tertiary institutions had not yet opened, with only a few institutions, including those in Botswana, having commenced academic activities.
He said a larger portion of the scholarship budget was expected to be disbursed in August when more institutions reopen.
The Minister further announced that the newly appointed Committee was continuing with the process of interviewing, assessing and recommending deserving candidates for government study loans both locally and internationally.
Meanwhile, government has collected more than E17.6 million in scholarship loan repayments during the first quarter.
Buthelezi said the collections were realised through three main channels: the Scholarship Recovery Consortium, the Civil Service payroll system through Treasury, and the FNB Scholarship Collection Account.
“These are average collections, but they show that there is continued commitment from those who benefited from government assistance to repay their loans,” he said.
The Minister also provided an update on government’s position regarding scholarships for law studies, stating that consultations were still ongoing after government previously stopped funding scholarships for law programmes.
He said engagements had been held with stakeholders, including law students and the Law Society, following requests for government to reconsider the decision.
“The students have always asked us to reconsider, while the Law Society requested that government reconsider its position as it seeks to create opportunities for more emaSwati,” Buthelezi said.
He emphasised that no final decision had been reached yet, as consultations were still underway.
During the debate, Nkomiyahlaba Member of Parliament Mduduzi Dlamini welcomed the ministry’s efforts and applauded the increase in the number of scholarship beneficiaries.
Dlamini urged government to consider restoring scholarships for law students, saying many young people in his constituency had expressed interest in pursuing legal studies but faced financial challenges.
The Ministry of Labour and Social Security said the scholarship programme remained a key government intervention aimed at expanding access to tertiary education and developing skills needed to support national development.
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(Courtesy Pic)
