The government has released the results for tuition loans and scholarships applications for first year university students, just days before most institutions with others having started their studies
The results have drawn mixed reactions from students and their families although the Higher Education Loans Board (Helb) and the Universities Fund (UF) remain silent on the distribution of the amounts awarded to students under the funding model that was introduced last year. There was a hue and cry when universities earlier released student admission letters that indicated the full amount of fees without factoring in government support.
President William Ruto recently ordered the universities to recall the letters and issue fresh ones, in what has turned out to be a race against time days to opening. The Cabinet Secretary for Education Julius Ogamba has now given universities up to August 19, 2024 to send amended letters to all the letters initially issued to first year university students.
In a statement, he said that 125,893 students out of the 153, 275 who were placed in universities had applied for the scholarships and loans.
“It’s taken too long to communicate this. Up to now, I don’t know how much I’m required to pay for my son who’s going to University of Nairobi on Monday. We’ve done some shopping but on the fees, we’ll cross that bridge when we get there,” Naomi Muthoni, a parent told Nation.
Apart from the fees that students pay, they need money for upkeep and accommodation. Many universities do not have adequate internal accommodation and students are forced to rent outside where prices are higher.
Under the model, the government supports students through scholarships that are awarded by the UF and tuition and upkeep loans awarded by the Helb. Students are categorised into five bands according to their household income and expenditure.
However, some students question the criteria used to band them. Last year, as many as 9,000 students appealed but only 5,000 were reclassified.
Previously, all government-sponsored students used to automatically get the same amount of tuition funding that was paid directly to the university and only had to apply for the Helb funding.
However, government funding has continued to dwindle as student numbers rose, from the targeted 80 per cent of the cost of a bachelor’s degree programme. It currently stands at about 38 per cent, leaving universities greatly underfunded.
The principal secretary for Higher Education told Saturday Nation that the distribution of the awards will be released next week “once the exercise is complete because it’s changing constantly”.
“Students have been awarded scholarships and scholarships according to their level of need consistent with any of the five predetermined bands. The government reaffirms its commitment to quality and affordable higher education and is set to disburse Sh25.3 billion to students who have applied so far,” Mr Ogamba said.
He directed students who are dissatisfied with the amounts awarded or their classification to appeal through the Higher Education Funding portal.
First year students at Dedan Kimathi University of Technology reported three weeks ago, way before the applications were processed. The vice chancellor Prof Peter Muchiri told Nation that the students were admitted without being asked to fees as they awaited the processing by Helb and UF.
“We have different categories of students. Eight per cent of them did not require any government support and have already paid the fees in full. 119 students out of the 2,400 first year students were identified as extremely needy and were admitted without paying any fees. We also reserved free internal accommodation for them. We’ll put some of them in a work-study programme,” Prof Muchiri said.
The funding model places students in five bands depending on their family income as well as other factors like the size of families and the children in school. Band 1 has students whose monthly income does not exceed Sh5,995 while Band 2 ranges from Sh5,995 to Sh23,670.
Students from families with monthly incomes between Sh23,671 and Sh70,000 are placed in Band 3 while those between Sh70,001 and Sh119,999 are in Band 4. Band 5 and which receives the least funding in terms of scholarship but high on loans is for students whose families earn above Sh120,000.
In this context, household income refers to the total earnings received by members of a household. It includes wages, salary, pension, proceeds from farming, business, and investments among others.
