- He said prospective students can apply for the scholarships and loans without having an identity card.
- "This temporary measure ensures that no student is disadvantaged or delayed in pursuit of higher education due to administrative processes," Mwaura said.
Image: ISAAC MWAURA/X
The government has called on students to submit their university funding applications before the extended deadline on August 15, 2024.
The extension is from the initial deadline of July 31, 2024.
Addressing the press on Wednesday, government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura said only 79,038 applications for funding out of the 153,275 students placed by KUCCPS had been received as of August 4, 2024.
He said prospective students can apply for the scholarships and loans without having an identity card.
"This temporary measure ensures that no student is disadvantaged or delayed in pursuit of higher education due to administrative processes," Mwaura said.
He stated that applicants aged below 18 years can apply for loans and scholarships using their KCSE index number and attach a copy of their birth certificate in place of their national ID card.
On the other hand, those aged 18 years and above and are yet to be issued with a national identity card can apply for a loan and scholarship using KCSE Index number and attach their waiting cards as evidence of their pending ID applications.
Mwaura stated that in its commitment to improving education standards, the government has, in the just approved supplementary 1 budget, allocated Sh36.31 billion to the Higher Education Loans Board.
The government has also allocated Sh17.9 billion for the recruitment of 20,000 Junior Secondary School teacher interns and conversion of current interns to permanent and pensionable status, as well as Sh3 billion for the school feeding programme.
Mwaura said the new funding model was programmed to cover 80 per cent of university costs for admitted students through loans and scholarships.
The approach however proved unsustainable in the long run, leading to service payment difficulties and reduced lecturer attendance.
Mwaura said the commitment to cover 80 per cent of the costs ended up covering only 50 per cent or even 45 per cent in some cases, resulting in a significant funding gap and compromised educational quality.
He noted that the universities ended up with an inherited debt of Sh60 billion, putting them on the brink of a crisis.
In contrast, he said the new funding model utilises the means testing instrument to fairly assess student needs, categorising them into five funding bands.
Mwaura said the adjustment to the new model was validated by the fact that 20 percent of students did not apply for scholarships in 2023 as they could cover total fees, unlike in the past when they were unilaterally considered for sponsorship.
He said the savings have benefitted students in tertiary institutions, mainly in Technical, Vocational, Education, and Training (TVETS).
Mwaura acknowledged that the government is aware of the fears expressed by some Kenyans about the affordability of the fees apportioned to households and confirms that no child shall drop out of school or college because of fees.
"Beginning August 19, universities will inform students of the exact payable fees based on their household financial ability as ascertained through the means testing instruments," he said.
It is anticipated that timely settlement of invoices and contractual obligations under the new model will improve institutions' cash flows and enable them to focus on their core academic and research activities, thus enhancing the quality of education.