The leadership of the Students Representative Council (SRC) at the University of Malawi has commended President Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera for his directive of hiking the students allowances.

In a statement which the council chair has Elia Mwalwanda has signed , and copied to the Office of President and Cabinet, the hiking of the allowances will help to motivate the students and do well in their academic life.

This follows the meeting which SRC leadership from the six public universities had on 13 February 2024 in a round table discussion with the Chancellor of the University of Malawi, at Kamuzu palace in Lilongwe, which centered on a number of agendas of which one of them was the upkeep increment.

"l am so excited with the official information from the Higher Education Students Loans and Grants Board that government has increased the upkeep loan from 350.000.00 Kwacha per academic year to K560.000.00 per year representing a 60% increase," Reads the statement in part.

The chair says it was the same Dr. Chakwera who increased the same from 200,000.00 Kwacha to the current 350,000.00 Kwacha.

"To our beloved chancellor Dr. Laz. take it from me that University of Malawi Students are grateful. This gesture has demonstrated that you are not only a listening president, but also a caring father of our beloved nation Malawi and that you have at the back of your mind the welfare of students in public universities. We are looking forward to implementation of the other petition we made to increase the number of loan beneficiaries when it comes to tuition, " he said.