State ends funding for students in private varsities
In a policy change intended to address the financing issue in public colleges, state-sponsored students who choose to enroll in private universities will be responsible for paying their own tuition.
This is a part of reforms in the higher education sector to make the universities financially sustainable, according to Ezekiel Machogu, the education cabinet secretary, who spoke before the legislature on Thursday.
The public institutions are having trouble paying their debts, which have grown to Sh62 billion despite a decline in State capitation, including payroll taxes, retirement benefits, and employee insurance payments.
He informed the Public Investments Committee on Education and Governance (PICEG) of the National Assembly, “flowing forward, no government money would be flowing to a private university, and parents wishing to enrol their children in private institutions shall have to cover the expense.
His comments follow President William Ruto’s announcement of a new student-centered funding model for universities and technical and vocational education and training (Tvet) institutions, where funds would be distributed to people based on their level of need.
Scholarships, loans, and household payments will all be combined to fund students on a progressive scale that has been calculated scientifically. Students will be divided into four categories based on their level of need: vulnerable, severely needy, needy, and less needy.
Universities and Tvets won’t again get block funding in the form of grants with differential unit costs (DUC) under the new model.
The State has boosted financing for university education to Sh84.6 billion from the Sh54 billion budgeted in the current financial year as loans and grants in order to assist the implementation of the new framework. As a result, each student would receive an increase in funding from Sh152,000 to Sh208,000.
Starting in July, the financial allotment for Tvets would rise from Sh5.2 billion to Sh10 billion, or Sh67,000 per trainee each year.
In order to address the placement of students issue and ensure that it complies with the law, an amendment has already been requested in writing to the Attorney General, according to Mr. Machogu.
In an effort to relieve the overcrowding in public schools, the State began allowing government-sponsored students (GSS) to enroll in private universities in 2016.
Despite their varying financial circumstances, students can choose courses from any university thanks to Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service.
In order to ensure that public universities do not continue to suffer at the expense of private ones, the committee is also working on a bill that would formally tie up any loose ends, according to PICEG chairman Wanami Wamboka.
Younger lawmakers, led by Babu Owino, the MP for Embakasi East, have rejected the new funding model, claiming it will prevent Kenyans from accessing high-quality education.
At the Parliament buildings, he told reporters, “The new higher education financing policy is a money laundering scheme. Should the government fail to finance students at 100%, we will call for nationwide demonstrations.”
Private institutions presently have 78,650 GSSs with a total DUC requirement of Sh12.28 billion and an unmatched budget allocation of Sh3.37 billion, or 21% of the DUC, which has forced some of them to raise tuition costs.
Similar to how public universities have struggled to fulfill their commitments to employees, inadequate State financing, poor student enrollment, and the elimination of duplicate programs.
In the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination in 2022, the number of candidates who met the minimal requirements for admittance into universities increased by 19% to 173,345 from the 145,776 registered the previous year.
Nearly all students with grades of C+ and higher have been accepted into conventional university programs over the previous five years, which has decreased the number of students accessible for private institutions and self-sponsored degree programs in public ones.
Public colleges have experienced a steep decline in the number of self-sponsored students enrolling, which has caused cash flow issues that have caused them to suspend new hiring and slow growth plans while they deal with massive debts Nearly all students with grades of C+ and higher have been accepted into conventional university programs over the previous five years, which has decreased the number of students accessible for private institutions and self-sponsored degree programs in public ones.
Public colleges have experienced a steep decline in the number of self-sponsored students enrolling, which has caused cash flow issues that have caused them to suspend new hiring and slow growth plans while they deal with massive debts.
State ends funding for students in private varsities
