Good News to Students Locked out of New Funding Model
Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu has offered assistance to students who encountered difficulties while applying for scholarships and loans using the new university funding approach.
In a statement before the National Assembly, CS Machogu mentioned that the Ministry of Education is actively dealing with the problem and anticipates a resolution soon.
Machogu emphasized that the challenges students faced were linked to invalidated National Identification Cards and the Integrated Personnel Registration System (IPRS).
A group of students who recently obtained new IDs and IPRS credentials faced obstacles when trying to access the university fund portal, which prevented them from obtaining the funds.
To address the delays caused by these technical issues, Machogu revealed that he is collaborating with Interior counterpart Kithure Kindiki to integrate the new IDs and IPRS numbers into the university system.
Machogu explained that students who were locked out of the system will be required to reapply for funding opportunities, as the resolution process is expected to conclude within a week.
“The necessary steps are being taken to ensure that the IPRS is adjusted to accommodate the validation requests for Identity Card Numbers during this application period,” he remarked.
However, despite these efforts, students are facing uncertainty due to the approaching application deadline of September 7, which follows the opening on July 31. Reports indicate that the Ministry of Education hasn’t yet achieved the desired outcome.
CS Machogu disclosed that approximately 265,614 students are expected to apply for funding, but only 65,328 applications have been received so far.
Machogu also highlighted that the current system’s Integrated Personnel Registration System can only validate the old National Identity Card Numbers of applicants, parents, and guarantors.
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“The system sometimes experiences downtimes for extended periods, causing disruptions in the registration and application process,” Machogu acknowledged.
He further explained that the implementation of the new model involved collaboration among the Higher Education Loans Board, the Universities Fund, the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service, and the State Department for Technical, Vocational Education, and Training. These agencies worked together to create a centralized online platform for tertiary education students to register and apply for scholarships, loans, and bursaries.
Good News to Students Locked out of New Funding Model
