How to submit a loan application
A loan application in Ustawi captures everything the approval ladder and the disbursement gates will later check — the borrower, the product, the amount and tenor, and the supporting documents. Getting the application right the first time is what lets a clean case move through approval quickly.
Before you start
You need the borrower to already exist as a client (or you create them as part of the application), the loan product you are lending under, and the documents that product requires. The product you choose sets the interest method, the fees, the allowed amount range and the approval path — so pick it before entering an amount.
Filling in the application
- 1Select the clientSearch for an existing borrower or capture a new one. Their history, existing loans and any open arrears are pulled into view so you are not lending blind.
- 2Choose the product and amountThe product constrains the amount range, tenor and repayment method (flat or reducing-balance). The requested amount is what drives the approval ladder's amount band.
- 3Set the tenor and scheduleThe repayment schedule is generated from the product's method so the borrower — and the Key Facts Statement — sees the real instalments.
- 4Attach required documentsKYC identity, and any product-specific documents (collateral proof, employer letter for check-off). Missing documents are one of the most common reasons an application later stalls at review.
What happens on submit
Submitting runs the up-front checks the product requires — typically an affordability assessment and, where configured, a CRB (credit reference bureau) check. The result of those checks travels with the application into the approval ladder, so a committee or branch approver is deciding on a case that already has its compliance evidence attached.
The officer who originates an application cannot also approve it. This is enforced by the system, not by policy alone — see “How the loan approval ladder works.”