Lesotho - Guidance To Apply Student Loan

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Procedure

The National Manpower & Development Secretariat (NMDS) is a Department under the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) mandated through the National Manpower Development Council Act of 1978 to provide loan bursaries to deserving Basotho students wishing to pursue higher education and training.
The NMDS also sponsors students to high school mainly targeting brilliant and needy students through a grant system.
The NMDS specifically administers partially reimbursable loan bursaries on behalf of the Government of Lesotho (GOL) for students pursuing priority fields of study at Tertiary and Vocational schools locally, regionally and internationally.
The NMDS also administers a revolving loan bursary fund. Students are sponsored to the following places:

1. Lesotho
   
2. Republic of South Africa (RSA) Universities and Universities of Technology
   
3. Other Southern African Development Community (SADC) Countries
   
4. Other African countries
   
5. Overseas with donor support

For students who need loan bursaries for their education, this is what you need to do:

You can visit the NMDS offices using their address provided in the address section below, or Register your account online for free.

Online Registration

1. Visit the NMDS portal via this link : NMDS Portal
   
2. Click on register to create an account
   
3. Filling your Name, phone number, email address and password, date of birth and password.
   
4. In the type of applicant section, chose the appropriate choice and if you have ECOL number you will have to fill it in.
   
5. After filling in all the section click on register, a verification code will be sent to your mail address, access it from your mail and use it to verify your account.
   
6. Log in to your account and click on register.
   
7. Fill in the registration form to the end. Note that whatever information you provide in your registration will be used in accessing your financial needs. It is in your best interest toprovide accurate information when filling the form. You are liable to prosecution if found that you have provided false information with regard to your application.
   
8. Submit the form online or download it and submit it to NMDS office. View the sample form in the sample document below.
   

NOTE: Students are requested to register for their sponsored studies within the earliest of the given registration period by the institutions. They must submit proof of registration to NMDS via email to [email protected]. Failure to do so will hinder disbursement of applicable allowances and fees for them.

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Required Documents

• Original certificates from standard seven to the last certificate,
• Applicant’s valid Lesotho Passport
• Parent or guardian passports
• Prove of medical fitness.

Office Locations & Contacts

National Manpower Development Secretariat
OLD PARLIAMENT ROAD, OPPOSITE MINISTRY OF HEALTH HEADQUARTERS, P.O. BOX 517
Maseru, Lesotho 100
Direction
phone:+266 2232 3842
Website : Scholarships Website

Ministry of Development Planning
Public Relations Officer
Phone: +266 22311100 ext 2585
Fax: +266 2231 0186
E-Mail: [email protected]
P.O. Box 24 Maseru 100.

Eligibility

Students pursuing priority fields of study at Tertiary and Vocational schools locally, regionally and internationally

Fees

Registration is free

Validity

Sponsored Students’ contracts are renewable annually before the beginning of each successive academic year of study

Documents to Use

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Sample Documents

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Processing Time

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Related Videos

Videos explaining the procedure or to fill the applications. 
Attach videos using the following tag <&video type="website">video ID|width|height<&/video&> from external websites.
Please remove the "&" inside the tags during implementation.
Website = allocine, blip, dailymotion, facebook, gametrailers, googlevideo, html5, metacafe, myspace, revver, 
sevenload, viddler, vimeo, youku, youtube
width = 560, height = 340, Video ID = Can be obtained from the URL of webpage where the video is displayed.
e.g In the following url "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0US7oR_t3M" Video ID is "Y0US7oR_t3M". 
	

Instructions

Please provide other instructions related to the certificate/documents.
e.g. The state office holds birth records since january 1908.

Required Information

To register for an online account, the new applicant or existing borrower has to provide the following information.

• First Name
• Surname
• Valid Email Address
• Phone Number
• Date of Birth
• Password for the account
• Candidates Number (for new applicants)
• Borrower's Number (for existing Borrowers)

Need for the Document

Please provide the need for the procedure. e.g. Birth Certificate - why do we need to have a birth certificate?

Information which might help

NMDS GENERAL TERMS FOR AWARD OF SPONSORSHIPS

1. Contracting:
   • NMDS does not provide sponsorship for bridging and extended programs or programs outside those specified as sponsored.
   • Sponsorship Contract with NMDS is entered into per a specified program of study and clearly specified official duration from the offering institution.
   • In a case whereby a student gets sponsorship while already pursuing a program, NMDS shall award sponsorship to him/her only to complete the remaining years of the official duration of that program.
   • For a student to proceed to the next-level of qualification (e.g. postgraduate) with NMDS sponsorship, such student must apply for a new sponsorship when such sponsorships are announced for applications. Students will be awarded sponsorships if they meet all the requirements.
   • Progression to another/next-level qualification of study with NMDS sponsorship by providing false information or tricking the NMDS and without application and award of sponsorship, is a fraud that will result to legal measures to the involved student/s.
2. Registration:
   • Students are requested to register for their sponsored studies within the earliest of the given registration period by the institutions. They must submit proof of registration to NMDS via email to [email protected]. Failure to do so will hinder disbursement of applicable allowances and fees for them.
   • Students will be given food and accommodation allowances that cover two months during the first month of their studies while subsequent allowances will only be disbursed to them upon submission of proof of registration.
3. Change of Institution and program:
   • Students cannot change their sponsored program or institution of study without prior NMDS Director’s authorization. Unauthorized change of a sponsored program or institution of study will result to loss of sponsorship.
4. Official Withdrawals:
   • Students who wish to withdraw from their sponsored programs of study must write a letter of request to withdraw from their studies to NMDS Director and attach officially stamped and signed.confirmation of withdrawal from the institution within a week, indicating the reasons for withdrawal.
     
   • Students that have made official withdrawals before completion of exams and that will have not passed to the successive academic year of their studies must note that any fees and/or allowances NMDS incurred to them during the year of withdrawal are due to NMDS at 100% upon student’s request to be reinstated to resume studies.
5. Contract Renewals and Reinstatements:
   • Sponsored Students’ contracts are renewable annually before the beginning of each successive academic year of study. It is only upon the student passing their previous academic year of study with official academic results that proof progression to the successive academic year.
     
   • In the case of institutions that do not specify the state of academic progression on students’ official results, NMDS shall effect renewal only for those sponsored students that have completed and passed all their core courses for their previous academic year of study but may have failed a maximum of two non-core courses/modules.
     
   • NMDS does not pay for courses/modules to be repeated or supplementary examinations.
     
   • NMDS does not also provide funding for extension of sponsorships therefore sponsored students must ensure that they complete their programs of study within the set official duration.
     
   • Contract reinstatements are awarded only upon a sponsored student who repeated his/her studies producing an application for reinstatement attached with official results during failed academic year and during passed academic year thereafter as well as an active contract of sponsorship.
     
   • The contract reinstatement is also awarded to sponsored students who were granted official withdrawal by the Director NMDS upon producing application for reinstatement attached with official results for student to have passed the academic year prior/during official withdrawal, supporting documents for re-admission into studies, proof that such student has settled all dues to NMDS and medical fitness certificate in a case that withdrawal was on medical grounds as well as an active contract of sponsorship.
6. NMDS Sponsorship package:
   1. Tuition fees are billed by and payable directly to the institution of study;
      
   2. Accommodation for on-campus students is billed by and payable directly to the institution of study while for off-campus students,is set at NMDS rates and payable to students’ personal bank accounts submitted to NMDS during contracting/renewal;
      
   3. Research, project and equipment allowances at NMDS rates are payable to students personal accounts upon request by a student with supporting documents from institution of study;
      
   4. Book allowances at NMDS rates are payable once at the beginning of every academic year to students personal accounts;
      
   5. Food Allowances at NMDS rates are payable monthly within the academic year to student’s personal accounts; and
      
   6. Transport Allowances at NMDS rates are for students studying outside the country
      
      • NMDS does not pay for Internet, notes, study guides, school association membership fees or any other extra recreational activity costs.
        

NB:

Students are requested to familiarize themselves with their Loan Bursary Agreement which is a binding contract of sponsorship between them and NMDS so that they shall comply with all its terms, conditions, obligations and undertakings throughout. Failure to comply may result to suspension, termination or legal action against the non-complying student.

Other uses of the Document/Certificate

Please explain what are other uses of obtaining this document/certificate.
e.g. Birth Certificate can be used as proof of identity.

External Links

MNDS
ECOL

Others

More information which might help people.