- Ruto unveiled the New Higher Education Funding Model on May 3, 2023, saying it would afford learners from vulnerable backgrounds access to higher education.
- The model benefits learners in both public universities and Technical Training Institutions (TVETS) through loans and scholarships.
Image: SCREENGRAB
President William Ruto has defended the new university funding model saying it was necessary as universities were struggling with debts running into tens of billions of shillings.
Speaking on Sunday during a town hall dialogue with Mombasa residents, Ruto said universities were struggling to the extent of paying lecturers half salaries.
“When I came into office, they had a Sh60 billion debt, it was near a crisis so it became necessary,” Ruto said.
Ruto unveiled the New Higher Education Funding Model on May 3, 2023, saying it would afford learners from vulnerable backgrounds access to higher education.
The model benefits learners in both public universities and Technical Vocational and Training Institutions (TVETS) through loans and scholarships.
He said the previous funding model that guaranteed every student 80 per cent loans became unsustainable as student population increased.
“What ended up happening is that while we committed to pay 80 per cent, we ended up paying 50 per cent, some cases 45 per cent, so there was a huge funding gap and universities were struggling and we ended up affecting the quality of our education, we ended up compromising our education,” he explained.
The President said it was at this point that the government thought of changing the funding model such that the able parents pay more compared to the less fortunate.
“We said there are parents like William Ruto who can afford. Why would a child of William Ruto be given 80 per cent scholarship same as a child of mama mboga?” he asked.
Ruto said the Means Testing Instrument is being used to ensure all learners are assessed and given scholarships and loans on need basis.
He said the less fortunate students are now getting 95 per cent funding while those from able families 60 per cent.
The head of State added that unlike the old funding model, students must apply to get funding in the current arrangement thereby making savings since those who can afford usually don’t apply.
“Twenty per cent of students last year did not apply for scholarship, they went and their parents paid because they didn’t need it,” he said.
“We now have more money to pay for children from vulnerable families,” he added.
The students have been categories into five groups using the Means Testing Instrument which accords all learners fair share of resources.
The President said this model has seen budgetary allocation to universities increased from Sh45 billion to Sh82 billion this financial year.
“We cannot be sending our children to school and we have not provided funding for them to go and be taught,” Ruto said.
“We tell them ‘go to school’ and we cannot pay the lecturers, we cannot pay for their classes, we cannot run the programmes that’s why I have decided I’m spending more money in education, it’s much more expensive for me but it’s better to have students who graduate when they have gone through proper learning.”