University students in Tanzania to receive Sh10,000 daily allowance

Dar es Salaam. Students in tertiary institutions in Tanzania will start receiving Sh10, 000 as meal allowance with effect from the next financial year, up from the previous Sh8, 500, the parliament has been told.

The increase, which is equal to 17.6 percent, was revealed in Parliament Dodoma on April 5, 2023 by the Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa while delivering budgetary estimates for his office for the financial year 2023/24.

Also through the Samia Scholarship, the government has provided funding to 244 high-achieving female students who excelled in Form Six examinations and have received admission in the fields of technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine.

"The government has also continued to provide loans, increase the scope of access to higher education loans, and at the same time improve the higher education institution infrastructure in the year 2022/23, Sh654 billion was allocated for student loans, an increase from Sh570 billion which was allocated in 2021/22, with a number of beneficiaries increasing from 177,605 in 2021/22 to 202,877 in 2022/23," Majaliwa told the house.

It is said that some students skip meals because they can’t afford, thus failing to concentrate in their lectures or being forced to conduct other immoral errands in order to make ends meet.

On February 11, Tanzania Higher Learning Institutions Students’ Organization (Tahliso), Mr Frank Mkinda, made a request to the government to increase the amount: "Due to the rising cost of living, we kindly ask for your consideration by raising the daily allowances to at least Sh10, 000 or more."

Mr Mkinda made the request during the meeting between Tahliso and President Samia Suluhu Hassan at State House Dodoma where she declared that the allowance would be increased and directed the minister of education to work on that matter.

“I understand that one has to survive on a single meal when he or she finishes his or her daily food allowance. I will start with at least Sh10,000.”

 “So, the minister for education will work on the matter, come next academic year,” the president ordered.