By Kebba AF Touray
The National Assembly on Friday, July 11, 2025, passed the Students’ Revolving Loan Scheme Bill, paving the way for the establishment of a national student loan program that lawmakers say will help close persistent equity gaps in the country’s tertiary education system.
The passage of the bill followed its third and final reading, weeks after it cleared the consideration stage on June 17. The legislation was introduced by Minister of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology Pierre Gomez, who framed it as a critical intervention to help underprivileged students pursue post-secondary education in a country where government scholarships remain limited and highly competitive.
“This bill seeks to provide equitable access to tertiary and higher education for all Gambians,” Minister Gomez told lawmakers. “It also ensures gender inclusion and promotes sustainable financing mechanisms for higher education.”
Each year, hundreds of Gambian students graduate from senior secondary schools with dreams of attending university or technical colleges. But according to Minister Gomez, many of these young people—particularly from rural and low-income households—are unable to take the next step in their education journey due to financial constraints.
While the government provides scholarships through the Ministry of Higher Education, Gomez admitted that the current model is overstretched. “The Gambia Government scholarship is not enough to cater for all the students aspiring to pursue tertiary and higher education in this country,” he said.
The Students’ Revolving Loan Scheme, as envisioned in the bill, will offer financial support to qualifying students through low-interest loans repayable after graduation. The funds will “revolve,” with repayments from past beneficiaries being used to support future cohorts—a model used successfully in several African and Asian countries.
Critics of the current system have long argued that The Gambia’s overreliance on limited government scholarships has left many qualified students behind. Proponents of the new law say it will mark a turning point by creating a more sustainable and inclusive funding mechanism that does not leave deserving students at the mercy of lottery-like selection processes.
The legislation does not only promise expanded access; it also emphasizes gender inclusion, aiming to ensure that female students, often disproportionately affected by financial barriers, have equal access to opportunities for higher education.
Now that the bill has been passed by the National Assembly, it will be forwarded to President Adama Barrow for assent. If signed into law, the Ministry of Higher Education is expected to move swiftly to develop the regulations, administrative structures, and financial systems necessary to operationalize the loan scheme.
Education advocates welcomed the move, calling it a step in the right direction. “This is the kind of bold policy intervention we have been waiting for,” said Isatou Ceesay, a university student and youth advocate. “Higher education should not be a privilege—it should be a right. And this bill brings us closer to that goal.”
As The Gambia pushes forward with its education and development agenda under the government’s strategic blueprint, the Recovery Focused National Development Plan (2023–2027), the newly passed bill is expected to play a key role in producing a more skilled and educated workforce—an essential ingredient in the country’s quest for inclusive growth and economic transformation.
