The World Bank has approved a $250 mln loan to Uzbekistan to expand access to student loans under the new EduImkon programme.
EduImkon, which runs from 2026 to 2028, is financed by the World Bank and overseen by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. The initiative aims to remove barriers in the student finance system by modernising the educational loan framework and creating a single online platform for applications and processing. It will also make student loans easier to obtain for women and low-income families.
The programme includes plans to align higher and vocational education with labour market needs and to pilot income-contingent repayment loans, where graduates repay according to their earnings.
The funding is expected to benefit around 600,000 university, technical college and vocational students by 2028. Of the total sum, $190 mln will go towards educational loans for disadvantaged students and support with choosing a suitable field of study.
EduImkon is also designed to attract $30 mln in private investment, which should broaden access to student finance and ease pressure on the state budget.
