By Tracy kavai, nyaberakavai@gmail.com
Thousands of students hoping to start university in September for their higher education are currently facing uncertainty due to the ongoing confusion surrounding the new university funding model.
Chief justice Martha Koome, one of the high -ranking government official, has expressed concerns about the fairness of the new model, fearing that it will widen inequality within higher education institutions and has called for a comprehensive review of the entire structure.
The Ministry of Education utilized the Means Testing Instrument (MTI) to assess the financial support each student is eligible for based on self-reported family background information, including monthly income. However, the disparity and perceived unfairness resulting from the categorization system may prevent financially needy students from accessing higher education. Koome highlighted the distress of students who, despite qualifying for university, find themselves unable to afford it due to being placed in a higher band than they should be.
The Chief Justice suggested that consolidating all bursaries into a single fund to finance education for all could effectively manage education funding.
The New Higher Education Funding Model, introduced by President William Ruto on May 3, 2023, aims to tackle the challenges faced by public universities and Technical and Vocational Education (TVET) institutions resulting from a surge in enrollment and insufficient funding. This new funding framework replaces the previously used Differentiated Unit Cost (DUC) for university financing. The model prioritizes a student’s financial need and separates placement from funding. Under this model, universities and TVET institutions will no longer receive block funding in the form of capitation. Instead, students will be supported through scholarships, loans, and household contributions. Consequently, students will have access to scholarships and loans to finance their higher education.
The Universities Fund will provide scholarships to students, ranging from 30% to 70% based on their level of need. Any remaining funding gap will be covered through household contributions and loans.