Call For Application For Government Study Loan

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS FOR GOVERNMENT STUDY LOAN – JANUARY 2027 INTAKE

The Higher Education Council (HEC) wishes to inform the public that applications for Government study loans are now open to Rwandan students wishing to pursue their studies abroad for the January 2027 intake. Government study loans are awarded competitively, taking into consideration national priority areas, eligibility requirements, applying for study loan to study academic programmes that are not offered by local Higher Learning Institutions, and the limit of available funds from the Government budget. Applicants are advised to carefully review the list of priority fields and eligible programmes available at: Link before submitting their applications.

Eligibility Applicants must:

1. Be a Rwandan citizen;
2. Have secured admission to a recognized/accredited foreign Higher Learning Institution;
3. Meet the academic and other requirements specified by HEC;
4. Provide a valid admission letter for the programme and institution for which the study loan is requested; and
5. Meet any additional eligibility requirements applicable to their level of study.

Application Requirements

Interested and eligible candidates are required to submit the following documents:

• An application letter addressed to the Director General of HEC, clearly indicating:
  • The programme of study; o Name and country of the institution;
  • Mode of study (preferably full-time or part-time);
  • Starting and ending dates and total duration of the programme;
  • Academic level (Bachelor's, Master's, PhD, where applicable); and
  • Amount requested, with a detailed breakdown of costs, including tuition fees, living allowance, accommodation, medical insurance, research/thesis fees and any other applicable study-related costs.

• A valid admission letter from a recognized foreign Higher Learning Institution.
• Certified copies of academic certificates and transcripts from the previous level of study.
• A copy of the National ID.
• An updated Curriculum Vitae (CV).
• A recommendation letter from the employer for employed applicants, or recommendation letter from your academic supervisor, Lecturer and teacher for unemployed applicants.
• A personal statement explaining the applicant's motivation for pursuing the programme and its relevance to their professional development and Rwanda's development priorities.
• Supporting documents for the requested costs, where applicable, such as official tuition-fee schedules/invoices, accommodation costs, medical insurance requirements, and research-fee requirements.

Important Notes

• All applications must be submitted online through the HEC Management Information System (HECMIS): https://hecmis.hec.gov.rw/
• The application period is from 1 to 21 October 2026. Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered.
• For Bachelor’s applicants, only candidates who completed Senior Six in 2026 and secured admission to a recognized foreign university are eligible. Applicants admitted to local universities are not eligible to apply.
• Ongoing students already enrolled in foreign universities are not eligible to apply.
• Applicants must be admitted to programmes in national priority fields that are not offered by local Higher Learning Institutions, as applicable.
• The study loan is not granted automatically based on admission only. Selection is competitive and is subject to the applicant satisfying all eligibility requirements. The following are priority areas under this call, applicable to Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate levels of study, are as follows: National Priority Area
  1. Aviation
  2. Health Sciences
  3. Information Technology
  4. Nuclear
  5. Sports
  6. Infrastructure

• The amount approved by HEC may differ from the amount requested by the applicant and will be determined in accordance with applicable Government sponsorship cost structures, policies and available funds.
• Applicants are responsible for ensuring that all information and documents submitted are complete, accurate and authentic. Submission of false or misleading information or documents may result in disqualification and/or cancellation of the study loan.

Done at Kigali, on 1 st October 2026.

Dr. Edward KADOZI

Director General