Students Shun University Loans Despite Deadline Extension
Applications for government scholarships and loans have been sluggish following the extension of the application period under the new university funding model. Since the extension on September 6, only 23,113 students have applied, a significant drop from the previous rate of 8,000 daily applications, as reported by the University Funding Board. This means that the daily average has dwindled to just 1,500 applications.
Data from the Board reveals that 176,745 students in universities and 73,322 in technical colleges have applied for funding. This contrasts with the 153,632 applications received by September 5, just two days before the initial funding application deadline.
However, Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu extended the application period by one month, until October 7, to provide more time for those who hadn’t yet applied.
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The breakdown of applications is as follows: 103,423 applicants are university students, leaving approximately 36,684 university students yet to apply for government funding. Meanwhile, 73,322 applicants are students from technical colleges.
The low uptake during the extension period has raised questions. Geoffrey Monari, the Chief Executive of the Universities Fund, suggested that not all admitted students may be interested in government funding, as some capable students may choose to pay their tuition fees independently.
The new funding model, introduced by President William Ruto in May, assesses students’ financial need and provides funds accordingly through the Higher Education Loans Board. Unlike the previous model, which automatically funded students meeting certain criteria, this model requires students joining public universities to apply for government scholarships or loans to subsidize their tuition fees.
Students Shun University Loans Despite Deadline Extension
