Friday, August 11, 2023

All students placed in universities and colleges this year will be funded equitably as there is adequate budget. That was the main message as the three government agencies responsible for placement and funding of students in universities and colleges sensitised journalists on the New Funding Model for Higher Education in Kenya in Naivasha on Friday.

The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS), the Universities Fund (UF) and the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) also gave assurances that the funding process will be fair and equitable.

The Chief Executive Officers of the agencies made the remarks during a sensitisation workshop for journalists held on August 11, 2023 in Naivasha County. The objective of the workshop was to explain the New Funding Model and the procedure for categorisation of students into various levels of need.

The purpose was to ensure that journalists understand the funding model and get an opportunity to ask questions and seek clarification from the implementing agencies. The workshop followed the completion of the placement of students to universities and TVET colleges, and the launch of the Higher Education Financing portal https://hef.co.ke. The newly placed students are currently applying for the government loan and scholarship through the portal.

KUCCPS Chief Executive Officer Dr. Agnes Wahome appreciated the role of the media in helping the public to understand the new funding model, and highlighted the significance of a centralised student placement process. “If KUCCPS plays the central role in placement of students in all higher institutions of learning including KMTC, then financing education will be easier,” she noted.

The CEO of Universities Fund, Mr. Geoffrey Monari, emphasised the importance of sharing funding information for the sake of Kenyans. “The role of financing in universities is so critical. Thus, we need you to understand the process so as to interpret it accurately to Kenyans,” he told the journalists drawn from all the major media houses. He noted that Kenya had been using the Differentiated Unit Cost (DUC) model of funding, yet universities continued to sink into a financial crisis. The new funding formula has been introduced as a solution to this problem. He further highlighted that the new funding model is student-centered.

HELB Chief Executive Officer FCPA Charles Ringera explained the process of applying for scholarships and loans. He reiterated that the funding would ensure equity on a need assessment basis using the Means Testing Instrument.

The workshop concluded with the assurance that there will be no student who will miss funding whose application period is open until September 7, 2023.