Students Given Till 7th October to Apply for University Funding

Education CS Ezekiel Machogu has extended the deadline for applications for higher education funding due to a low application rate, leaving approximately half of students with only a single day to apply.

Students applying to universities and colleges of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) now have until October 7, 2023, to submit their applications. Initially scheduled to conclude on September 7, 2023, the application portal only received 59% of the anticipated 265,000 applications, with 108,468 students yet to apply.

Some students have expressed dissatisfaction with the sluggish application process and cited infrastructure challenges related to the online application procedure. The Universities Fund (UF) and the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) have been instructed to expedite scholarship and bursary processing for all applicants.

The Ministry of Education has waived the identification requirement for applicants under 18, benefiting approximately 2,000 minors in postsecondary education. Students are encouraged to apply for both grants and loans, with applications hosted on a single website for the first time.

Public institutions are instructed to admit students while their applications are processed, and the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (Kuccps) has placed students in private and public universities. In TVET institutions, only those attending public institutions are eligible for both scholarships and loans.

Applicants can visit the HEF website to submit applications, and private university students are eligible for HELB loans but not government scholarships. The new funding model will not affect continuing students, who will continue to receive funding based on the previous model.

After the portal closes, Helb and UF will take seven days to verify applications, and scholarships and loans will be distributed accordingly. Students from various income backgrounds will be categorized based on means assessment instruments, ensuring those in need receive support.

Machogu emphasized that funding allocation for scholarships and loans will be based on assessed student need, utilizing a scientific approach. The new funding mechanism is expected to cost Sh39.4 billion during the Financial Year 2023-2024.

Continuing students in their second to fifth years will be funded at a rate of Sh34.1 billion, different from the previous model, potentially leaving universities with unpaid debts. Currently, the government owes universities Sh147 billion, while universities owe creditors Sh61 billion.

Students Given Till 7th October to Apply for University Funding