The ministry of education has said that the long awaited study loan scheme will start in two years time.

The minister of Education Geraldine Namirembe Bitamazire says that in the May 3 meeting of experts at the education headquarters, it was agreed that the study loan scheme be operational not later than 2013.

She adds that the ministry has set a team of technocrats to set up legal, financial and institutional frameworks to ensure the scheme succeeds. The team includes; peace Bategeka-administrator, Timothy Ojala-Legal Officer and Samson Wanangwe (IT analyst).

Bitamazire reports that the team will take 18 months drafting the frameworks and the scheme will kick start thereafter.

She says that parliament has not yet passed the study loan scheme bill but she is confident it will pass if a well designed framework is presented to parliament.

In the East African Community, the study loan scheme is currently effective in Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania.

Living other factors constant, if the scheme picks up, it will only assist the poor students who have qualified academically to join the higher institutions of learning but incapable to join due to financial hurdles.

By Issa Asuman