HELB: Government Won’t Fund 45k University Students Only
Charles Ringera, the CEO of the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB), has responded to Babu Owino, the Member of Parliament for Embakasi East, refuting claims about government funding for university students in the upcoming 2023/2024 academic year.
Ringera clarified that all eligible students for university admission will receive government funding. However, there will be two categories of funding: 100 percent funding for 45,000 students and 93 percent funding for the rest, with families responsible for the remaining 7 percent. The two categories eligible for full funding are vulnerable and extremely needy students.
Babu Owino had previously stated on his social media that out of the approximately 800,000 students expected to enroll in universities this year, only 45,000 would receive government sponsorship. He argued that this would place a significant financial burden on parents, especially for certain courses.
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Embakasi East MP Owino expressed concerns that this new system might exclude deserving students and advocated for a return to the old system where all qualifying university applicants received support.
In response, Ringera countered Owino’s claims by highlighting that out of 869,782 students who took the KCSE examination the previous year, only 173,127 achieved the minimum entry grade (C+) for university admission. Of those, 140,107 students applied and were accepted into various programs at public universities.
Ringera urged students to continue applying for government funding through the Higher Education Fund website, as the application deadline is approaching on September 7.
HELB: Government Won’t Fund 45k University Students Only
