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Govt to Provide 100% Scholarships to 45,000 Needy Students

Govt to Provide 100% Scholarships to 45,000 Needy Students

Govt to Provide 100% Scholarships to 45,000 Needy Students

The Kenyan government has announced that 45,000 students who sat for the 2022 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams will receive 100 percent scholarships.

The Education Cabinet Secretary, Ezekiel Machogu, introduced a new funding model to support students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

The scholarships will cover the full cost of university education for eligible students. However, students from affluent families, who can afford to pay for their children’s university education, will not be eligible for the scholarships.

All candidates who achieved the minimum university entry grade of C+ in the 2022 KCSE Examination, totaling 173,127 students, will qualify for placement in universities.

Those who obtained a grade of C (plain) or below will be absorbed into Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions across the country.

The Education Cabinet Secretary emphasized that the government will fully fund the education costs of the 45,000 students from needy and vulnerable backgrounds, as announced by the President.

This initiative aims to ensure that deserving students have access to higher education regardless of their financial circumstances.

In line with the new funding model, government scholarships will only be granted to students who choose to study at public universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges.

Private universities, on the other hand, will not receive grants but instead offer education loans through the Higher Education Loans Board.

This decision was made due to concerns over the auditing of funds allocated to private institutions in previous years.

The government emphasizes the need for accountability and transparency in the allocation of public resources.

Support for Public Universities

The National Assembly Education Committee, led by its chairperson Julius Melly, praised the government’s new funding model, citing its potential to enhance accountability.

Mr. Melly acknowledged that private universities are private ventures and should be responsible for their own funding.

He urged the government to continue supporting public universities, which have faced financial challenges.

The new model ensures that public funds are used efficiently and allocated according to students’ programs and needs.

Public universities in Kenya have experienced financial difficulties, with 35 Vice Chancellors highlighting significant challenges.

They have called for immediate action from the National Treasury and Planning to address outstanding pension bills and clear pending debts related to Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA).

The institutions’ debts have reached a total of 60.6 billion Kenyan shillings, including staff pensions and statutory deductions.

Some university officials have expressed concerns that the financial constraints were deliberately designed to affect public universities.

Proposed Tuition Fee Increase

As part of their proposed interventions, the Vice Chancellors suggested increasing university fees from the current minimum of 16,000 Kenyan shillings to a minimum of 48,000 and a maximum of 96,000 Kenyan shillings per year.

They believe this adjustment would help alleviate the financial challenges faced by public universities and contribute to their sustainability.

Govt to Provide 100% Scholarships to 45,000 Needy Students

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