15 Students Stranded in Finland as Scholarship Fee Dispute Unfolds
Fifteen students who were selected for a Finnish airlift program signed by the Nandi County Government are currently facing a dilemma regarding the payment of their university fees.
Originally believing they had secured scholarships, these students were admitted to Edusampo University, but now find themselves at risk of having their studies cut short due to non-payment of fees.
Confusion on Payment Obligations:
The Edusampo University administration and the county government have become embroiled in a dispute over who is responsible for covering the students’ fees.
One student revealed that the county government failed to inform their families that they were required to pay the university fees, as the county government had guaranteed their education.
The agreement for the program was primarily between Suomi International Consultants (Suinco) and Nandi County, with the students only being brought into the process during the application stage.
Parents of the students expressed shock upon discovering that they were expected to pay approximately Sh900,000 to the county government for tuition fees.
The application process was allegedly politicized and presented as a scholarship opportunity without disclosing the full details of the agreement with the institution.
As a result, families had to sell land and other assets to gather the necessary funds, relying on the understanding that the county government would fulfill the remaining financial obligations.
Unfulfilled Financial Commitments
Edusampo University CEO Terhi Toikkanen stated that the county government has yet to remit Sh13.4 million, which was supposed to be paid in three installments before the students’ departure to Finland.
The agreement outlined that the county government would guarantee the students’ scholarships and be responsible for paying the school fees.
Additional documents were sent to the county government, involving the families as third parties, but they have not been returned or signed.
The county government, however, has distanced itself from the scholarship program’s complications.
County Secretary Francis Sang clarified that the government only guaranteed the students’ positions without any further financial obligations.
He mentioned that the county had been trying to engage the students’ financiers but had not received any support thus far.
Sang emphasized that the county had not reneged on its role and reassured that the students would not be sent back from Finland, urging parents to take temporary responsibility until the students could support themselves.
15 Students Stranded in Finland as Scholarship Fee Dispute Unfolds
