CS Migos says Sh5.2bn disbursed to Helb, appeals on bands ongoing after outcry
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba.
The Ministry of Education had by Friday released Sh5.2 billion to the Higher Education Loans Board (Helb). The money will go to tuition and upkeep loans for students joining various universities across the country from next week Monday.
Of the amount, Sh2.8 billion has been released to the Universities Fund for scholarships.
The cash is now being disbursed to the respective university and student accounts, upon ascertainment of students' reporting and admission.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos said the disbursements will be complete by August 30, 2024.
“Following the opening of the Higher Education Portal for this application cycle, 134,029 applications for loans and scholarships have been received to date,” said Mr Migos.
The CS noted that a total of 127,591 applications have already been categorised into the various bands.
Outcry from needy students over band placement
Of the categorised applicants, 12,958 have lodged appeals for re-categorisation.
The move by the ministry to allow students to appeal the bands they're in follows public outcry amid fears that many students will miss going to university over failure to raise fees.
In the new funding model, students have been categorised into 5 bands, depending on various parameters including household income.
Many needy students from humble backgrounds have complained about being placed in band 5, whose fees runs into hundreds of thousands per year.
“The processing of appeals has started and will be concluded within three weeks from the date of each of appeal. The portal will remain open until December 31, 2024, to allow for late appeals,” assured the CS.
Some Kenyans have pushed for scrapping of the new funding model on grounds that it is discriminative.
On Thursday, Chief Justice Martha Koome took issue with the model, saying it will lead to a serious inequality gap. She also called for a review of the whole structure.
However, the Education CS on Friday sought to explain that the re-categorisation will rely on the accuracy of information provided regarding an applicant's socio-economic background, affirmative action considerations, socio-demographic factors and family education expenses.
“To ensure that all applicants are categorised fairly and that no one is deprived of deserved funding, we are working with officers from the National Government Administration Office, in a multi-agency approach,” he said.
