FALSE: Government won’t fund 45,000 university students only
Charles Ringera, the Chief Executive Officer of the Higher Education Loans Board, has challenged the claims made by Embakasi East MP Babu Owino regarding government funding for students entering universities in the 2023/2024 academic year.
Ringera clarified that while government support would be extended to all eligible students, there would be distinctions in the level of financial assistance. Specifically, 45,000 students would receive full 100 percent funding, while the remaining students would be granted 93 percent funding, with the remaining 7 percent to be contributed by their families.
This delineation in funding pertains to two distinct groups: vulnerable and extremely needy students.
MP Babu Owino had taken to his social media account to assert that, out of the roughly 800,000 students intending to enroll in universities, only 45,000 would be fortunate enough to secure government sponsorship.
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However, Ringera disputed this figure, presenting a different perspective. According to Ringera, a total of 869,782 students sat for the KCSE examination the previous year. From this cohort, only 173,127 students managed to attain the minimum entry grade for university admission, which is a C+.
Out of these qualified students, 140,107 applied for university placements and were successfully allocated to various programs across the public universities in the country.
In light of this, Ringera urged students to continue their applications for government funding through the Higher Education Fund website as the application deadline of September 7 approaches.
This ensures that eligible students have a fair chance to access the financial support they need for their higher education aspirations.
FALSE: Government won’t fund 45,000 university students only
