Rwanda, university education: The Chancen International, Organization that usually offers scholarship to different universities in Rwanda ,has allocated 70% of its budget to paying for students pursuing vocational and technical training (TVET) through cooperation with RTB, Rwanda TVET Board.
The news was announced this 01 October 2025 in Kigali ,in a meeting that brought together Chancen International, owners of vocational and technical training institutions, and the management of the Rwanda Technical and Vocational Education and Training Board (RTB).
The meeting aimed to encourage stakeholders in the sector to collaborate with Chancen International so that more students who wish to study but face financial challenges can have their tuition covered.
Chancen International’s Rwanda Country Manager, Ariane Niyonsaba, said that currently, the TVET institutions they work with have not reached the level they desire, which is why they have started discussions with other institutions to achieve their goal.
She said, “We have been working with TVET for two years, but we were collaborating with only two institutions. In 2024, we made efforts to ask RTB to connect us with others because 70% of our budget is allocated to students pursuing these courses. We expected to work with about 10 institutions, but currently, we are working with only six, including four that joined this year.
Ariane also encouraged TVET institution leaders to approach them and collaborate, noting that currently, they expect to support only 600 students in 2025, despite having the capacity to assist up to 2,000.
RTB Director General, Eng. Paul Umukunzi, said that an organization like Chancen is a key partner in increasing TVET enrollment, as financial constraints are a major barrier for many.
He added, “Chancen International’s program is very special because our youth need technical skills that lead to employment, but the main challenge they face is lack of financial resources. The government does a lot to reduce costs, but the demand for skills keeps growing, leaving some students unable to afford education.”
Eng.Paul Umukunzi also encouraged other institutions to offer tuition financing that students can repay after securing employment, noting that this model is widely practiced in developed countries like the United States and Japan, where anyone who wants to learn a trade can get a loan and repay it once employed.
The Director General and founder of Chancen International, Batya Blankers, said that Chancen’s goal is to help youth access quality education that can lead to meaningful employment.
The organization,Chancen International began operating in Rwanda in 2018 and later expanded its activities to Kenya, South Africa, and Ghana.
The organization pays students’ tuition, which they repay once they secure a job that pays at least 80,000 Rwandan Francs, with monthly repayment rates between 10% and 20% of their salary.
This cooperation of Chancen International with the RTB, Rwanda TVET Board, will decisively boost the goal of Rwanda Government’s of producing more increased number of students who choose to study in the TSS ,Technical secondary schools, for normally they hesitate thinking the TVET education has no more partners like Chancen International, so by today the hope to study in university for students who study in TVET schools will increase.
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