Parents To Receive Refund of Fees Paid to Universities by 1st Years
Parents who have paid university enrollment fees for their children now have the option to receive refunds from their respective institutions. Vice Chancellors have clarified that no parent or student was compelled to pay fees; those who did so did it voluntarily.
Prof. Daniel Mugendi, Chairperson of the Vice Chancellors Committee, explained that payments, if made, were done willingly, without any coercion. He also mentioned that if there was a change in categorization resulting in no payment requirement, the universities would be able to provide refunds.
Some university vice chancellors are not following a government directive to collect fees before admitting first-year students. Some institutions were found to demand payment of up to seven percent of tuition fees from students, regardless of their categorization, before admitting them.
Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu ordered that no student should be denied admission to a university due to fees. Prof. Mugendi defended his colleagues, stating that no institution required parents to pay tuition fees.
However, students reported that some institutions denied admission to those who had not paid the equivalent of seven percent of their tuition. Prof. Mugendi clarified that new first-year students currently being admitted to public universities were exempt from paying tuition fees under the new funding model until the Higher Education Fund (comprising the Universities Fund and HELB) finalizes their categorization.
The Vice Chancellors’ Committee disclosed that Kenyatta University has admitted 7,752 out of 7,979 candidates placed by KUCCPS. Kisii University has accepted 7,160 out of 8,670 applicants, and Moi University has admitted 4,103 out of 5,480 applicants.
Prof. Mugendi mentioned that students requiring additional services like housing could pay for those services. He also suggested that guardians consider temporarily supporting students with accommodation and meals until the categorization process is completed.
Data from University Funding revealed that approximately 109,100 university students had applied for government scholarships, loans, or both, while 31,007 students had yet to apply for government aid. Additionally, 53,736 students enrolled in TVET institutions had applied for government funding.
On a related note, Education Cabinet Secretary Machogu extended the application deadline for scholarships and financing until October 7.
Parents To Receive Refund of Fees Paid to Universities by 1st Years
