Welcome

The establishment of a Students’ Loan Scheme in Sierra Leone is perhaps the most significant step taken by any Government in Sierra Leone. His Excellency the President Rtd. Brig. Dr. Julius Maada Bio in keeping his promise to the people of Sierra Leone and fulfilling a constitutional mandate to provide access to funds for the pursuit of higher education has demonstrated a robust leadership and this is worthy of commendation.

The Students Loan Scheme Journey is very new to Sierra Leoneans, and a cynical response from the citizenry to its introduction could well be expected and understood. It therefore came as a welcoming relief to me, when data showed an overwhelming support for the introduction of the scheme during a nationwide surveys conducted by the Students Loan Committee in August of 2020. This is a bold initiative and Sierra Leoneans have risen to the occasion.

The scheme provides a welcome relief to Sierra Leoneans in the face of adversities associated with the cost of pursuing higher education whether a university or technical and vocational one.

I am very pleased, humbled and gratified for the opportunity to partner with all Sierra Leoneans in the success of this scheme. For me, this is a personal endeavor and I want to assure all Sierra Leoneans that the Sierra Leone Students Loan scheme will be a transparent and a hospitable Agency.

We will listen and learn from our critics and celebrate our successes together. We will be open to new ideas and we will embrace this great challenge with the assurance that every beneficiary of students' loan is a step away from gaining a most vital element of Human Success: Education. It is against this backdrop that we at Students Loan Scheme choose these sacred words as our mantra "education matters".

A very high percentage of young people in Sierra Leone are unable to access higher education and continue their schooling beyond the secondary school level because of the high cost of tuition and other related expenses. This situation has significantly reduced the number of skilled professionals available in various sectors and adversely affected the human and socio-economic development of the country.

Let me take this time to welcome you to our very first ICT platform to engage in a mutual conversation. Please take your time to learn about us and the services we provide. Please do not forget to give us your sincere feedback. If we do not hear from you, how can we better serve you?

On behalf of the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education (MTHE) and key Government partners in this endeavor, I once again welcome you and it is my sincere hope that this platform will be more interactive as informative.

 

    Thanks and God bless.

    Paul Joseph Amara, BA. MSW

    CEO, Sierra Leone Students’ Loan Scheme.

About us

BACKGROUND

A very high percentage of young people in Sierra Leone are unable to access higher education and continue their schooling beyond the secondary school level because of the high cost of tuition and other related expenses. This situation has significantly reduced the number of skilled professionals available in various sectors and adversely affected the human and socio-economic development of the country.

 

Successive Governments have over the years, attempted to improve access to tertiary education by providing grant-in-aid to financially challenged and deserving students as well as tuition fees subsidies to the entire tertiary student body. However, apart from the fact that the coverage of the grant-in-aid is very limited and its distribution inefficient, this form of support and the fee subsidies pose significant challenges on Government’s budget and are neither affordable nor sustainable. Read more...

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants Must:

  • Be a Sierra Leonean studying in an Accredited Tertiary Educational Institution in Sierra Leone
  • Programmes leading to the award of Certificates, Diplomas, Undergraduate and post graduate degrees;
  • Demonstrate that a genuine need of a Loan exists;
  • Demonstrate the ability to repay the loan within the time specified; and
  • Not be a current beneficiary of the Sierra Leone Government grant-in-aid or scholarship funded by other organizations. (An applicant’s failure to disclose such information will lead to a state offence under the Sierra Leone Students’ Loan Scheme Act of 2021).

Application Requirements

Applicants must provide the following with their Application:

Offer of Admission into an accredited tertiary educational institution

Two (2) passport-sized photographs

National Identification Number (NIN)

National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NaSSIT) Number (if available)

At least one of the following: a. Voter ID Number, b. Passport Number, c. Driving License Number

Valid Email Address

Telephone Number

Student ID number (i.e., must be a registered student of his/her Institution).

Evidence of income and debts (if currently employed)

Name, address and other details of one Guarantor.

"EDUCATION MATTERS"