Ensure needy university students don’t drop out
There is a bleak future ahead for most students in public universities unless the raging funding crisis is resolved. The High Court’s quashing of the controversial new funding model has just refuelled it. The model has created categories such as the needy and less needy to determine who gets government loans and bursaries.
Higher education is a costly undertaking, but the government needs the high-level manpower for national development. Education can be a social equaliser if all the students, who qualify for admission to different courses, receive uniform funding irrespective of whether they are from poor or well-to-do families.
Now, the future of 234,811 students admitted to universities in 2023 and 2024 is uncertain following the court’s rejection of the model introduced by President William Ruto in May last year. It categorised students into five bands, with those from vulnerable and extremely needy households eligible for full funding. The less needy students would receive up to 90 per cent support.
The government is now looking at different options, including only funding students for 30 per cent, raising the cut-off grade for university entry, and limiting the students it funds altogether. This will be a bitter pill for struggling students.
Some students have paid the high amounts, while others have dropped out as they were unsure of getting sponsorship. This new model had also forced students who had qualified for more expensive professional courses to opt for affordable alternatives. It is unfair to lock students out of their favourite courses and herd them into cheaper alternatives.
The old Higher Education Loans Board (Helb) system should, perhaps, have just been streamlined as this alternative has thrown students into a quandary. Education, being a fundamental right, requires a fair and inclusive funding scheme.
Some people have called for the restructuring of Helb and consolidating bursary schemes into a single education fund to boost efficiency and curb corruption. The government should ensure needy students do not drop out for lack of funding.
