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Nqobile Bhebhe, Senior Business Reporter

FINANCE and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube has said an evaluation within Government circles is underway on the possibility of resuscitating students’ grants for college, university and vocational training institutions.

Professor Mthuli Ncube

Students’ grants were scrapped around 2006 due to public cash flow challenges and largely due to non-repayment. 

They were replaced by the cadetship scheme, which started in 2010.

The cadetship programme, however, did not yield desired results as it was also dogged by funding challenges and failed to pay for scores of students.

To arrive at a firm decision, the Finance Minister pledged to engage the Minister of Higher Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development, Professor Amon Murwira, on the matter.

He made the undertaking on Monday during an engagement with scores of tertiary students drawn from the National University of Science and Technology, Lupane State University, Hillside Teachers’ College, Zimbabwe School of Mines, and Bulawayo Polytechnic College.

Lupane State University

Prof Ncube was asked by students on the prospects of the Government resuming the payout system and in response, he said he was a recipient of the loan system during his studies at the University of Zimbabwe and appreciates its importance and impact.

Professor Mthuli Ncube

“I am aware that the Ministry of Higher Education has been evaluating, looking into this approach of reviving the students’ loan scheme,” he said.

“We used to call it the payout system and I understand the programme very well and why you are passionate about it because it works. I will engage my colleague in the Ministry of Higher Education (Prof Murwira) to see whether there is a way of bringing the scheme or some of the financial mechanisms. I have to evaluate what it means for the fiscus.”