In Uganda, students who pass the Primary Leaving Exam (PLE), a test administered during the last year of primary school, qualify for admission to either state-funded or private secondary schools. However while state-funded schools are free, family members are still required to cover supplementary expenses, at least $40 (USD) per year.

With private secondary schools costing upwards of $650 (USD) per year, education is simply out of reach for the majority of rural Ugandan youth. As a result, the net enrollment rate for school-aged Ugandans drops precipitously from 92% in

primary school to only 24% in secondary school, leaving over 6 million school-aged children behind.