30th April Deadline Set as HEA Moves to Index All Students Nationwide
The Higher Education Authority (HEA) has set a deadline of 30th April, 2026, for the submission of student and academic staff data by all Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), as part of the ongoing development of a centralised Student Database and the commencement of student indexing in Zambia.
Download the Excel workbook here: https://hea.org.zm/download/hea-template-for-annual-student-and-staff-returns/
The directive is issued pursuant to the Higher Education Act, 2013, and the Higher Education (Amendment) Act, 2021, which mandate the Authority to establish and maintain a comprehensive database of all students enrolled in HEIs, and to collect annual statistical data from all registered and recognised institutions.
In a communiqué to HEIs, HEA Director-General, Professor Kazhila C. Chinsembu, indicated that the Authority has made significant progress in developing the centralised database.
“The Higher Education Authority (HEA) has made significant progress in the development of a centralised Student Database,” he stated, adding, “Consequently, all student information submitted by institutions will be uploaded onto this database.”
Professor Chinsembu further clarified that the process marks the beginning of indexing students within the higher education system.
“Kindly note that HEA numbers for students will be generated strictly based on the data submitted,” the Director-General said, adding, “HEIs are therefore strongly encouraged to submit up-to-date and complete data capturing all students.”
The Authority has cautioned that students whose details are not submitted will be inconvenienced, as they will not be allocated HEA numbers.
HEIs are required to submit an Excel workbook containing two (2) datasets, namely Current Students and Academic Staff, with details including student identity information, programme of study, and staff qualifications and academic ranks.
All submissions must be made no later than 30th April, 2026, to data@hea.org.zm, with a copy to standards@hea.org.zm.
Download the Excel workbook here: https://hea.org.zm/download/hea-template-for-annual-student-and-staff-returns/
The Authority has assured institutions that all data collected will be handled with the highest level of confidentiality, with access restricted to authorised personnel.
This exercise marks a critical step in strengthening the management of higher education data in Zambia and supports the broader national agenda of building a coordinated and well-regulated higher education system.
Students are encouraged to engage their institutions to ensure that their details are submitted as part of this national exercise.
For further assistance, contact the Authority through the Standards and Research Unit on +260 976 936 653 or standards@hea.org.zm.
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