By Veronicah Stellah
In a move mirroring the previous year’s initiative, the second cohort of students entering tertiary institutions this academic year is set to receive financial backing through the student-centered model for higher education.
Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu, in a press statement, revealed that out of the 201,146 candidates qualifying for university entry based on the 2023 KCSE examination results, the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) has successfully allocated 153,274 students to various university degree programs.
Following this placement, Machogu highlighted that several universities have already dispatched admission letters along with fee structures corresponding to the courses selected during the KUCCPS application phase.
Parents, guardians, and students have been notified that the outcomes of the funding application process will be disclosed on July 31, 2024.
Consequently, all first-year students are urged to adhere to the instructions outlined in their admission letters and report to their respective universities promptly.
Upon the release of the funding application results, universities will promptly communicate the financial obligations expected from parents or guardians.
Machogu further directed universities and funding agencies to initiate comprehensive awareness campaigns targeting students, parents, guardians, and stakeholders regarding the Student-Centered Funding Model.
He announced, “I direct the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) and the Universities Fund (UF) to activate the Higher Education Funding portal (www.hef.co.ke) on June 15, 2024, enabling eligible students to apply for financial assistance.”
Addressing concerns raised by some parents and guardians regarding the perceived full fee payment as indicated in the universities’ admission letters, Machogu clarified that fees for each degree program would be covered through three components: Scholarship, Loan, and Parents/Guardians (Household) contribution.
The allocation for each component would be contingent upon the assessed level of need for each applicant.
Machogu emphasized that the determination of the Parents/Guardians (Household) contribution would only occur subsequent to the student’s funding application and completion of a need assessment, which would ascertain the required Scholarship and Loan amounts.
For the first time since the government’s adoption of the cost-sharing policy in higher education, 100 percent of the 2023 KCSE examination applicants received financial backing to pursue their preferred programs at the nation’s universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions.
The government aims to replicate this achievement with the current cohort of students entering universities this year.
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