Kampala International University offers over 1000 academic bursaries to Ugandans

Kampala International University has joined the government to empower Ugandans through offering opportunities to outstanding students through bursaries.

In an interview with the Deputy vice Chancellor in charge of research, Dr. DIJI Ochukwuemeka says the bursaries encourages brilliant and intelligent students but don’t have the financial ability to pursue education.

He further adds that the bursaries help to tone down the anger of uneducated people against the societies and also it will enable them to give back to the public once they become responsible citizens.

The idea of giving back to Ugandans was initiated by the board of trustees in 2014, with an aim of empowering bright students who after benefiting from UPE but drop-out yet they qualify to join university since they are financial less privilege.

Dr Emeka says students who come to KIU are given bursaries to pursue courses from two to three years. They get 50 per cent of the offer.

This offer has helped many students to access education given the fact that parents cannot pay exorbitant fees charged by higher institutions of learning.

However, according to the Director in charge bursaries, Ms Prossy Asiimwe, she says for every academic year, about 5000 students benefit from the offer which is specifically awarded to only Ugandan students.

She adds that, for one to qualify for the bursary, a student has to apply for a programme in the university, bring a letter indicating that they are from a specific district in Uganda and a payslip as a commitment that shows they have paid half of the tuition.

Asiimwe explains that the scheme is also meant to benefit students who pursue Master courses such as Masters in Business Administration programme. 

Ivan Watula, a beneficiary of the bursary says he got the information about the availability of the bursaries in the university from his brother who advised him to apply.

He says that at that time, the university was giving each district at least 50 offers. He dispels the notion out there that KIU gives out bursaries to win students into their institutions was a myth.

Watula who hails from Mbale district advises students who wish to join university but are incapacitated financially to come to KIU and get such opportunities from the premier private institution in the country.

Pascal Natamba an alumni of Kampala International University who pursued a Bachelor degree in Law appreciates the offer that the institution rendered to him, saying it helped him to pursue his course.

He says he applied for admission whereby he was admitted for the law programme and took it to his LCV chairman in Kibaale district for a recommendation.

Natamba says almost all students in KIU are benefiting from the offer giving it up-to 90 per cent of the offers are up for grabs

He says, in his interaction with foreign students, he realised that even international students for example, citizens from the East African Community too, are beneficiaries of these bursaries.

Cirus Wodenga, a second-year student of Law expresses his happiness on the condusive academic environment in the university that has offered many students to graduate from Kampala International University.

Wodenga therefore, as a beneficiary of the bursary scheme advises the university to device a mechanism that will ensure all Ugandans benefit from the offer without discrimination.

He says, some districts like where he hails from, letters recommending students for the scheme by the LCV chairmen are partisan, a practice that he says limits chances for other students whose political ideologies differ from that of the sitting government. 

Wodenga, a second-year law student exhibits confidence in Kampala International University as one of the best institutions in the country that churns out human resource to the job market and its products are extremely good.

He says given to the subsidization of tuition, his parents are now able to pay the half per cent fees hence enabling him to study full time without any disturbance of fees issues.