Luanar Needy students risk withdrawing

At least 500 needy students at Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (Luanar)risk being withdrawn from the University due to lack of School fees.

Luanar Council Chairperson has confirmed the development.

Speaking at Luanar main campus at Bunda in Lilongwe on Tuesday during the handover of a K2.5 million cheque by Tobacco Commission (TC) to assist needy students, he said the City Campus was the worst hit.

Said Kasomekera: “We have over 500 students at Luanar who need fees and are at risk of being withdrawn from the university.

“We thank our partner TC for the support rendered to our students, but we ask for more considering that this amount is not sufficient to bail out all the students struggling with fees.”

He said students at the Luanar City Campus are not eligible for loans extended by the Higher Education Students Loans and Grants Board.

TC human resources and administration director Evans Chilumpha said they provided the support following a request from Luanar.

He said as a tobacco regulator they have an obligation to Luanar as the commission’s key human resource comes from the university.

Said Chilumpha: “Our understanding is that the country benefits enormously from agriculture and as TC, we depend on Luanar to give us the required human resource that help us in various areas of expertise such as regulation and other policies matters.”
The K2.5 million donation targets 15 to 20 needy students.

A representative of the needy students, Gilbert Kapongolo, an agribusiness management student from Nthalire in Chitipa, said they are grateful for the support.
He also asked for more support so that more students could benefit.

In the 2021/22 academic year, the Loans Board said it disbursed student loans to 95 percent of applicants.

But education experts have said the narrow definition of eligibility has left out many deserving students