Revealed: Exact Number of Students who Have Applied to TVETs
Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu has revealed that over 559,021 students who meet the requirements for admission to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions have not yet submitted their placement applications.
According to the 2022 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) results, a total of 703,121 students who scored below a C+ grade are eligible for enrollment in various TVET courses. Despite this, only 145,060 students have taken the initiative to apply for placement, which constitutes around 21 percent of the overall placement capacity.
Speaking to the National Assembly Education Committee on Thursday, Machogu highlighted the significant challenges posed by funding constraints for tertiary education institutions. He stressed that admissions into TVET institutions are ongoing each year, with the anticipation of accommodating a larger number of students in the future.
The government introduced a capitation grant in the 2018-19 Financial Year, setting the annual tuition fee at Sh56,420. Machogu explained that each trainee was supposed to receive a flat rate capitation of Sh30,000 per year, supplemented by additional funds from household contributions and loans provided by the Higher Education Loans Board.
Despite the increasing enrollment figures in TVET institutions, the allocated budget remained fixed at Sh5.2 billion per year. Machogu reported that in the previous Financial Year (2022-23), there was a capitation deficit of Sh4.64 billion. This resulted in a reduction of the per-student capitation grant from Sh30,000 to just Sh13,000 per year, as well as a decrease in the average trainee loan from Sh40,000 to Sh35,000 per annum.
Under the new funding framework, Machogu projected that 42,144 TVET trainees would receive complete financial support from the government, relieving their families from any financial obligations.
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Applicants identified as vulnerable would be eligible for an 80 percent government scholarship in addition to a 20 percent program cost loan, without requiring any contribution from their households.
Those categorized as extremely needy would qualify for a scholarship covering 70 percent of their program costs, along with a loan covering the remaining 30 percent, without any financial contribution from their households.
For individuals classified as needy, a scholarship of 50 percent and a 30 percent loan would be provided, with their households contributing 20 percent towards the program cost.
Less needy candidates would receive a scholarship amounting to 32 percent of the total program cost, accompanied by a loan of 48 percent. Their households would be responsible for the remaining 20 percent of the program cost.
Revealed: Exact Number of Students who Have Applied to TVETs
