Protests...demanding more student loans?

I had to read the article twice before I could believe it, but it seems to be the case in Tanzania (Hat tip: University World News). From The Citizen:

Seven campuses of public universities and constituent colleges were closed over a week ago, sending home some 30,000 students after protests, some of which turned violent. The students were attempting to force the Government to order the Higher Education Students Loans Board (HESLB) to fully pay for their tuition and accommodation...

...Yesterday, Ms Kabaka said it would be unwise for the Government to provide full loans because thousands of other deserving students would be locked out of higher learning. Through the current loan policy, Ms Kabaka added, nearly 60,000 students had benefited. Should the Government yield to the whims of the protesting students, less than 40,000 students would still benefit, she said.

Of course, it would be useful to know what the default rate is on those loans...