NCHE Stakeholders Applaud Progress Improvements At 2024/2025 Public Universities Selection Review Meeting. There was a spirit of collaboration and optimism in the room as key players in Malawi’s higher education sector came together for a review meeting hosted by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE). The focus: reflecting on the 2024/2025 Public Universities Selection (PUS) process—what worked, what didn’t, and how to make it even better for future applicants.
Gathered around the table were representatives from Malawi’s six public universities (KUHES, LUANAR, MUBAS, MUST, MZUNI and UNIMA), various government Ministries i.e. the Ministry of Higher Education, Ministry of Justice, the Higher Education Students Loans and Grants Board, the Malawi National Examinations Board, student leaders and dedicated teacher agents who help students across the country apply for university. Together, they shared stories, insights and solutions aimed at improving the national selection system.
MORE STUDENTS, MORE PROGRESS
Opening the meeting, NCHE’s Chief Executive Officer Dr. Ambumulire Phiri, celebrated a major milestone: 26,473 applications were received this year—a 75% increase since Malawi moved to a fully online system in 2021/22.
Of those applicants, 24,582 were eligible, and 9,951 earned places in public universities with a gender ratio of 41% and 59% registered.
“This tells a powerful story about demand for higher education and the impact of our reforms,” she said, noting how real-time data integration with MANEB has reduced errors like duplicate applications or mismatched identities. She also thanked public universities’ ICT teams and MANEB for making this progress possible.
COLLABORATION WITH TNM, BANKS AND ACTS OF KINDNESS
Technology played a big part in this success—but so did partnerships. Collaborations with banks and mobile service providers TNM made payments easier and more secure. Still, a few students struggled to process payments, a reminder that challenges remain.
FDH Bank stepped in to pay application fees for 238 stranded students. A generous well-wisher also helped seven others. Some of these students have already been selected into some of the public universities as well as institutions like Domasi and Nalikule Colleges of Education, a reminder that sometimes, a helping hand can change a life.
TEACHER AGENTS: EVERYDAY HEROES
Over 190 teacher agents, trained by NCHE are now spread across the country, helping students—especially those in rural and underserved areas—navigate the online application system.
“We walk with students through every step,” said one agent. “Some even spend the whole day asking us about different career paths. Without this support, many would simply give up.”
But their work isn’t without challenges. Agents shared stories of students starting applications on their own and then getting stuck, struggling with internet connectivity or access to devices. They also suggested improving how quickly payments reflect in the system and proposed borrowing a few ideas from MANEB’s smoother platforms.
REACHING THE MASSES: COMMUNICATION THAT WORKS
This year, NCHE pulled out all the stops in reaching applicants and their guardians. A step-by-step video guide, widely shared on social media, helped demystify the process. Many attendees praised the clarity and accessibility of these tools, noting how they empowered even first-time applicants to submit their forms successfully.
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Yet despite these strides, students—particularly from KUHeS—raised concerns: growing enrolment isn’t being matched by enough classrooms, hostels or other facilities. Overcrowding continues to strain the learning experience.
Student leaders also called on the Loans Board to revisit upkeep allowances, pointing to soaring meal prices and general living costs.
VOICES FROM THE MINISTRY: A COMMITMENT TO PROGRESS
Representing the Secretary for Higher Education, Deputy Director of Tertiary Education, Mrs. Rose Kalizang’oma, acknowledged the achievements: a more transparent system, better alignment of the selection calendar and fewer payment errors.
She reaffirmed the government’s focus on expanding access through Open and Distance E-Learning (ODEL). LUANAR and MZUNI are already rolling out these programs, with KUHeS, UNIMA and MUBAS expected to follow. To ensure quality, NCHE has already set minimum ODEL standards.
POLICY GAPS AND THE ROAD AHEAD
Members of the Technical Working Group (TWG)—made up of representatives from the six public universities—also weighed in. Co-Chair Assoc. Prof. Agnes Mwangwela (Deputy Vice Chancellor of LUANAR) described the meeting as a space for “accountability to the public” and a way to crowdsource ideas for improvement.
KEY ISSUES RAISED INCLUDED:
1) Supporting students from Community Day Secondary Schools (CDSS) through affirmative action or adjusted selection criteria.
2) Avoiding misplacement of applicants into unrelated programmes.
3) Reviewing the requirement for a credit in English as a must-have for university entry.
4) The possibility of adding private universities to the centralized selection system in future.
5) Ministry of Education officials assured the room that these matters are under review and welcomed NCHE’s formal input to guide future policy.
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LOOKING FORWARD
As the review drew to a close, it was clear that while challenges still exist—especially around university capacity and evolving policy—the progress achieved so far is real and encouraging.
Stakeholders praised NCHE for its inclusive, tech-driven and transparent approach to the selection process, noting that Malawi is becoming a regional model in student-focused admissions.
NCHE, in turn, pledged to keep listening, improving and building a selection system that reflects the hopes and dreams of every aspiring university student in Malawi.