The government has extended the funding application deadline for 2023 KCSE candidates joining universities in the 2024/2025 academic year.
In a statement on Monday, August 5, 2024, Principal Secretary for Higher Education and Research Beatrice Inyangala said the application period had been extended by 10 days and will now close on August 15, 2024.
“We are pleased to announce that the application process has been extended by ten days, closing on August 15, 2024,” Inyangala said.
Under the new funding model, government funding will be allocated based on individual student needs.
“Starting August 19, 2024, parents and guardians will be informed of the university fees/household contribution towards the cost of university programmes,” Inyangala said.
According to government data, the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) placed 153,275 students from the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) 2023 cohort in public and private universities.
Inyangala says government support will be available only to those who apply for funding.
The Ministry of Education opened the application portal for scholarships and loans for the 2023 KCSE cohort on June 18, 2024.
Muganda revealed that as of August 4, 2024, a total of 79,038 university students had applied for both loans and scholarships but 74,237 university students are yet to apply for funding.
“The Government remains committed to providing quality and affordable education to students in Universities as well as Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions (TVETs). Under the Leave No One Behind framework, we urge all students who have not yet applied for loans and scholarships to do so,” Muganda added.
New university funding model
According to the new university funding model announced in May 2023, students from the most vulnerable and extremely needy households will receive full funding for their education.
Meanwhile, those from needy and less needy households will have 93 per cent of their tuition fees covered by the government, with only a seven per cent contribution required from their families.
The new funding framework replaced the Differentiated Unit Cost (DUC) previously used to finance universities, where universities and TVET institutions used to receive block funding in the form of capitation.
In the new model, the Universities Fund will offer scholarships to students ranging from 30 per cent to 70 per cent based on their level of need. Any remaining deficit will be covered through household contributions and loans.
The Means Testing Instrument (MTI) tool will be utilised to assess the level of need for funding students who apply for scholarships.
The new Higher Education Funding Model is being implemented collaboratively by several key entities, including the Universities Fund (UF), Higher Education Loans Board (HELB), Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS), and the State Department for Technical and Vocational Education and Training.
Under this model, UF will grant scholarships to students, HELB will extend loans to students, and KUCCPS will oversee the placement of KCSE graduates into higher learning institutions. Additionally, the institutions will act as recipients of the loans and scholarships provided to students in the form of fees, while parents will contribute household funds toward their children’s education.