Tanzania HESLB Student Loan Deduction Explained
If you studied with a loan from the Higher Education Students' Loans Board (HESLB), 15% of your salary is deducted each month to repay it. This guide explains who the deduction applies to, how it's calculated, and how it fits with the other deductions on your payslip.
Reviewed by the Calculator editorial team · Last updated 6 September 2026
Who the HESLB deduction applies to
The 15% deduction applies only to employees who are HESLB loan beneficiaries — people who took a higher-education loan and are now employed. If you never took an HESLB loan, nothing is deducted from your salary for it.
The 15% rate
For beneficiaries, 15% of the monthly salary is deducted. On a 1,000,000 TZS salary that's 150,000 TZS a month, repaid until the loan is cleared. The deduction is a fixed percentage of salary, not a fixed amount.
How it's collected
Your employer deducts the 15% from your salary and remits it to HESLB by the 15th of the following month. This makes it one of the employee-side deductions on your payslip, alongside NSSF (or PSSSF) and PAYE.
Where it fits on your payslip
A Tanzanian employee's payslip can show several deductions: HESLB (15% if a beneficiary), NSSF (10%) or PSSSF (5%), and PAYE. HESLB is separate from tax and pension — it's a loan repayment, not a statutory contribution. Use the calculator below to see your own figure.
Tanzania HESLB Calculator
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Frequently asked questions
How much is deducted for HESLB?
15% of the loan beneficiary's monthly salary, deducted and remitted by the employer.
Does everyone pay HESLB?
No — only employees who are HESLB loan beneficiaries have the 15% deducted.
Is HESLB the same as NSSF or PAYE?
No. HESLB is a student-loan repayment, while NSSF/PSSSF is pension and PAYE is income tax.