Stanbic Bank, FinCom launch Uganda’s first fully digital lending solution for schools

November 25, 2025 in Business, Companies, Financial Services by Editor

Stanbic Bank Uganda has partnered with FinCom Technologies, the creators of the SchoolPay platform, to unveil the country’s first fully digital lending system designed specifically for schools. The initiative opens a new chapter in education finance, allowing thousands of private institutions to access pre-scored, cashflow-aligned credit directly through a digital platform they already rely on for fee management.

SchoolPay currently serves more than 15,000 schools and processes over half of Uganda’s private-sector tuition payments. By integrating lending into this ecosystem, Stanbic Bank becomes the first financial institution to embed automated school-credit assessments into a national edtech platform—accelerating access to capital and removing long-standing procedural bottlenecks.

The partnership arrives against the backdrop of a sector still rebuilding from the nearly two-year Covid-19 shutdown—one of the longest school closures globally. Many institutions continue to grapple with uneven financial recovery, outdated lending processes, and limited access to affordable credit.

Speaking at the launch, Tunde Thorpe, Executive Head of Business & Commercial Banking at Stanbic Bank Uganda, said the collaboration was designed to address these structural gaps.

“For nearly two years during the Covid-19 shutdown, Uganda’s schools faced unprecedented financial strain. Many institutions are still recovering. This partnership allows us to extend credit in a way that is simple, digital, and aligned with the real cashflow patterns of schools,” Thorpe said.
“By leveraging technology to increase access to affordable finance, we are strengthening the very institutions that shape the country’s future.”

Through the enhanced SchoolPay interface, schools will now be able to apply for loans of up to UGX 1 billion, track loan status in real time, and avoid the traditional delays of paper-based lending—all without visiting a bank branch.

For headteachers and proprietors, this represents a move from slow, manual systems to fast, transparent, and predictable digital finance.

FinCom Technologies Board Chairman, Joseph Ndiho, described the partnership as central to the company’s mission of solving real-world challenges through technology.

“Together with Stanbic Bank, we are making credit more accessible, fully digital, and aligned with the day-to-day realities of school operations,” he said.

Ndiho added that digitising school finance enhances visibility, reduces leakages, and improves planning—factors that directly impact teaching quality, staff welfare, and supplier stability.

Harriet Senkaali, Commissioner for Private Schools & Institutions at the Ministry of Education, welcomed the development as a natural progression in the country’s education-sector digitisation.

“Digital tools like SchoolPay have improved financial transparency in our schools. Integrating affordable, timely credit onto the same platform is a natural and welcome progression. We commend Stanbic Bank and SchoolPay for providing solutions that support better learning environments and institutional stability.”

She reiterated the Ministry’s commitment to supporting innovations that enhance accountability and operational efficiency in private education, which serves a large share of Uganda’s learners.

The initiative aligns with Stanbic Bank’s Positive Impact Framework, which integrates inclusion, enterprise development, infrastructure improvement, climate resilience, and social investment into the bank’s core operations.

By enabling schools to finance classroom upgrades, ICT expansion, sanitation improvements, and operational continuity, the partnership strengthens Uganda’s human capital base—an essential element of long-term national competitiveness.

Marking 35 years of contributing to Uganda’s growth, Stanbic Bank reaffirmed its commitment to sectors that underpin inclusive development. Education, the bank emphasised, remains a cornerstone of social and economic resilience.