Higher Education Loans Board Chief Executive Officer Charles Ringera has dismissed claims by Embakasi East MP Babu Owino that the government will only fund 45,000 learners set to join universities for the 2023/2024 academic year.
Ringera said those who qualified to join universities will all benefit from government funding, but only 45,000 will get 100 percent funding.
"45,000 are the first two categories with 100 percent GOK funding, the rest will get 93 percent funding and family will contribute 7 percent," Ringera told the Star in an interview on Friday.
The two categories of learners that will get full funding are the vulnerable and extremely needy.
On Thursday, Owino, through his social media account claimed that 800, 000 learners are set to join varsities this year but only 45, 000 will be funded.
"The students who did their KCSE exams and are being admitted in different universities are around 800, 000. Of which the government's intention is only to sponsor 45, 000 students. This means that over 750,000 students will not be sponsored," Owino claimed.
Ringera dismissed this figure, clarifying that a total of 869,782 learners sat for last year's KCSE examination.
He said only 173,127 scored the minimum entry grade for university which is a C+.
Of the 173,127 learners who qualified, only 140,107 applied and were placed into various programs across the public universities in the country.
Ringera urged learners to keep on applying for government funding through the Higher Education Fund website as the deadline draws closer.
The deadline for application for funding is September 7.
