Pic: Mr Ahmada Omar Juma (from left), Coordinator, Zanzibar Higher Education loans board - Pemba office handed a confirmation letter to Br. Mustafa Moyo from IOU.

Students from Zanzibar registered with the International Open University (IOU) can now be included among the beneficiaries of interest-free loans from the Zanzibar Higher Education Students Loans Board (ZHESLB).

ZHESLB was established through Act No. 3 of 2011 and started operations in August 2011 as an autonomous institution. The Board initiated payment and repayment of Higher Education loans from graduate students and reports to the Minister of Education in Zanzibar.

In 2024, an Act was passed to repeal the Zanzibar Higher Education Loans Board Act, no. 3 of 2011 and enact the Zanzibar Higher Education Students’ Loans board (ZHESLB) Act to provide financial assistance to students and other related matters. This Act is cited as the Zanzibar Higher Education Students’ Loans Board Act No. 2 of 2024 and started operations on March 2024.

ZHESLB has approved and listed the International Open University (IOU) as one of the overseas academic institutions, where its students will benefit from ZHESLB-approved diploma/Associate Degree to Ph.D. levels.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR IOU STUDENTS

1. Applicant be Zanzibaris and must have Zanzibar ID
2. Applicant must have a No Objection Certificate from TCU
3. O-LEVEL, A-Level Student number or AVN from NACTE