Gov’t releases Ksh19.6B for scholarships: Here’s how to apply
According to Universities Fund Chief Executive Geoffrey Monari, at least 8,200 applications for financial aid to enrol in academic schools had been received as of August 11, 2023.
The amount of money available for scholarships for new students entering higher education this academic year is Ksh19.6 billion, while Ksh34.1 billion will be used to finance continuing students under Differentiated Unit Cost (DUC) this fiscal year, according to Monari.
For 130,485 students attending public institutions, the government will provide both scholarships and loans, while 9,662 students attending private universities will only receive loans.
“We want to reassure everyone that we won’t leave anyone out and that we’ll be watching this process closely all the way through. During a media workshop on university funding, Monari stated, “We want to accommodate everyone since funds are available and if you change the programme, the money will accompany you, unlike under DUC.
The money is available to help students to pursue further education, therefore Monari advised 2022 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) students to apply for financing in good time.
The CEO further clarified that because more students were anticipated than were actually placed, no student will be denied financing.
He stated that applications are presently being accepted, with a deadline of August 27 to allow for information gathering and subsequent allocations before the start of the new academic year in September.
“We are preventing that to the benefit of the students to ensure they apply in good time so that we can also process and universities can receive these students,” he said. “We all know that many of us wait until the last minute to apply and others may even assume they will apply at the university and get the loan and scholarship immediately.”
“Again, we cannot force everyone to apply,” she said, “because I would have been placed and could pay.” Even though some students choose not to apply based on their prior academic performance, we still want to accept every applicant because there are funds available for them.
According to Monari, the new funding model will provide each university more autonomy and give them the ability to cater to their specific needs based on their size, location, and areas of specialisation.
“Funding will be determined by quantifiable performance standards, such as graduate employability, research production, and student retention. In order to improve access to higher education and advance socioeconomic development, government-sponsored student scholarships would be made available, he said.
Additionally, it is anticipated to inspire universities to collaborate with the corporate sector to boost funding for higher education, construct buildings, and support research and innovation.
The placement of students has been separated from their financial support under the New Funding Model (NFM), with placement by Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) based on merit and preference.
While the means testing instrument (MTI) will be used in NFM to determine the amount of funding for government scholarships, loans, and bursaries, the current funding system uses a uniform grant based on the DUC of the programme and a graduated scale for loans and bursaries based on the level of need.
The cost-sharing model under the existing system, according to Monari, is 80% of DUC by the University financing Board (UFB) and 20% of DUC by households, the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB), and other parties, even though the financing for scholarships has never reached the 80% mark.
However, under NFM, the new funding ratio—which consists of 61% of government scholarships, 36% of government loans, and 7% of households—covers actual programme costs.
“Under the new status, the student would be informed of the true programme cost upon getting an admission letter from the relevant university. Currently, the public is unaware of the financial component paid by the Ministry of Education on behalf of the Government. According to him, students are also permitted to submit centralised applications for government loans, scholarships, and bursaries.
How to Apply
On August 3, a new application portal became live at www.hef.co.ke.
Of the 2022 KCSE graduates, the government will fully pay at least 45,000 university and 42,000 TVET students who are categorised as vulnerable and highly poor.
Gov’t releases Ksh19.6B for scholarships: Here’s how to apply
