education 8 May 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
How Uganda's Higher Education Access Programme Paved the Way for Vulnerable Students
FAWE Uganda's Higher Education Access Programme (HEAP), initially focused on girls, has successfully provided over 2,500 disadvantaged learners with pathways to higher education. The program's innovative approach, including the Higher Education Access Certificate (HEAC), has drawn international attention, with Zimbabwean officials visiting to learn from its success. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/higher-education-access-why-fawe-uganda-chose-girls-over-boys-5451622
The Higher Education Access Programme (HEAP), launched in 2017 by the Forum for African Women Educationalists Uganda (FAWE Uganda), was initially designed to provide educational opportunities for bright but economically disadvantaged students, with a strong emphasis on the girl child.
According to FAWE Uganda’s Executive Director, Ms. Susan Opok Tumusiime, the focus on girls was a strategic response to the then-lower educational attainment among female students. Recognizing the challenges faced by boys as well, the program has since expanded its support to include male students.
HEAP, implemented in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, operates through the Higher Education Access Certificate (HEAC). This bridging qualification, accredited by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE), serves as an alternative entry route to university for students who may not meet direct admission requirements. To date, HEAP has successfully facilitated higher education access for over 2,500 vulnerable learners.
The program prioritizes gender equity, allocating 80% of bursaries to young women, while also extending support to refugees and persons with disabilities. In the 2025/2026 academic year alone, FAWE Uganda disbursed 700 bursaries for both university and vocational training.
Uganda’s model has garnered international recognition, with a delegation from Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education visiting to benchmark the programme’s success. Led by Permanent Secretary Prof. Fanuel Tagwira, the delegation expressed admiration for the program’s scale and organization, noting its potential to address similar challenges in Zimbabwe.
The HEAC program’s success is attributed to its comprehensive approach, which includes targeted outreach, bridging courses, and collaborations between secondary schools, technical institutions, and universities. Features like merit-plus-needs admissions, competency-based modules, and integrated learner tracking systems have been highlighted as key strengths.
Zimbabwe plans to adapt lessons from Uganda’s HEAC model to develop policy proposals for expanding equitable access to higher education within their own country. The initiative has already been implemented in 10 African countries, benefiting over 4,000 students continent-wide.
This article is based on information from Daily Monitor Uganda.