Why universities are charging different fees for similar courses
Under the terms of the new funding model, which will be implemented in September, public universities will have the authority to set their own tuition rates for the degree programmes that they offer for the very first time.
The move is a component of the plan the administration has devised to ensure the smooth operation of the institutions.
Dr. Mercy Wahome, who serves as the chief executive of the Kenya University and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS), notes that the cost of training varies from university to college.
And this, according to what she had indicated, is dependent on criteria such as the cost of living in various towns, the number of pupils, and the required quantity of academic staff.
“So, you find that the programme that can take many students tends to be cheaper because the cost of the course is spread out among the students,” Dr. Wahome said. “So, you find that the programme that can take many students tends to be cheaper.”
In the past, the cost of education was calculated by the University Fund board using an outdated funding methodology that was referred to in technical terms as Differentiated Unit Cost, or DUC.
However, Dr. Wahome contends that the DUC cannot be maintained because many programmes at public universities do not enrol a sufficient number of students while having an excessive number of faculty members.
In situations like these, she challenges the wisdom of paying personnel when there are not enough students to warrant their presence.
Dr. Wahome explains that the change may require educational institutions to reevaluate the relevance of their curricula in relation to the number of students they enrol.
This raises the possibility that some of the courses will be eliminated from the schools.
“For public universities, they now have to reassess if it is cost effective to run a programme where you do not attract students but you still pay faculties,” Dr. Wahome noted. “For private universities, they do not have to reassess this question.”
During a session for raising awareness about the new funding system, she gave a speech in Naivasha.
Dr. Wahome illustrates his point by citing Kisii University as evidence that some educational institutions were successful in recruiting a large number of students because they offered more affordable tuition.
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Geoffrey Monari, chief executive of the University Fund, stated that it will give universities the ability to make their own decisions in order to reaffirm the necessity of the institutions’ independence to choose the fees.
According to Monari’s explanation, this autonomy will assist educational institutions in better planning to ensure that they are able to support their operations.
“Going forward, it will be up to each individual university to determine how much tuition they will charge and what their operating costs will be. According to Monari, “Planning has now become very important for Vice Chancellors because they now have to plan properly in order to avoid having extra staff.”
Courses ranging from the most expensive to the least expensive
Medicine, Dental Surgery, Pharmacy, and Engineering, which have traditionally stood out as the degree programmes that are most desired by top KCSE performers, will also be the most expensive degree courses under the new university finance model. This is because these degree programmes require the greatest training and education.
First-year tuition at some universities can cost as much as 600,000 Kenyan shillings for students who want to study medicine or dental surgery and enrol in school this September; the amount varies depending on the university.
Medicine students at Kenyatta, JKUAT, Maseno, and Moi universities would pay the highest tuition of Sh612,000 for their first year, according to a report on the revised cost for university programmes that was provided by the KUCCPS.
However, a student who is interested in studying medicine might join Egerton or Masinde Muliro University, where they will be needed to spend Sh337,940 or Sh306,000 respectively for the same course. These universities provide more affordable alternatives. This is one-half of what students pay at Kenyatta University, JKUAT, Maseno University, and Moi University.
Both Moi University and the University of Nairobi will charge students Sh612,000 for the first year of a dental surgery degree programme, which is the only degree programme of its kind in Kenya and is only provided at these two universities.
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Students who are accepted to JKUAT and wish to major in architecture, which is also a popular choice among those with the highest KCSE scores, would be required to pay a tuition fee of Sh367,200.
At the University of Nairobi, first-year students will pay Sh347,650; at Kenyatta University, they will pay Sh306,000; at the Technical University of Kenya, they will pay Sh288,000; and the Technical University of Mombasa will be the most affordable university for the curriculum, at Sh275,400. It is provided in a total of four different universities.
JKUAT’s tuition fees for the Bachelor of Pharmacy programme, which is available at eight private and public universities, have been set at Sh492,660, while those at Kenyatta University and Maseno University will cost Sh428,400;
However, it is important to note that under the new funding scheme, students who advance to private universities will not receive a chance at government scholarships. The cheapest institution that offers the Pharmacy programme is Mount Kenya University, which will charge Sh375,000 for the same course.
The Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine degree, which can only be earned at two universities, will set students back Sh442,850 at the University of Nairobi and Sh312,340 at the University of Egerton.
Engineering programmes will also be among the most expensive courses. The University of Nairobi, for instance, will charge the highest tuition possible of Sh374,850 for its Civil, Electrical, and Electronic Engineering programmes.
The most affordable tuition rates for the Civil Engineering programmes can be found at the Technical University of Kenya and the Technical University of Mombasa, which come in at 300,000 and 302,940 respectively.
Students who are admitted to JKUAT to pursue Law, another popular degree subject among top KCSE scorers, would be required to pay tuition in the amount of Sh238,208, which is the highest amount charged by any public university.
A student who wishes to attend Kisii University will be required to pay Sh225,335 for the same programme. The University of Nairobi would charge a student Sh221,850, whereas the University of Moi, University of Maseno, University of Kenyatta, and University of Embu will be the least expensive option among public universities.
The tuition fees for first-year students enrolling in the Bachelor of Commerce programme, which is a popular choice among students who are eligible for university placement, range from Sh130,000 to Sh227,500.
Those who wish to enrol in Computer Science at the University of Nairobi must pay the maximum price, which is now Sh345,100. The tuition ranges from Sh140,000 to Sh345,100.
The tuition for Actuarial Science at Garissa University will be the most expensive, coming in at Sh290,700, while the tuition at Mount Kenya University will be the cheapest, coming in at Sh110,000.
Students who want to major in nursing can expect to pay anywhere from Sh188,000 to Sh367,000 for their first-year tuition and fees.
Why universities are charging different fees for similar courses
