Govt to Stop Sponsoring University Students From Rich Families.
The government will stop paying university tuition for students whose families can comfortably afford it.
President William Ruto has announced measures to examine the criteria for university student financing eligibility.
Currently, all students with a grade point average of C+ or higher qualify for government sponsorship.
Ruto stated during his first joint discussion with the media on Wednesday evening that the government will reconsider university finance models.
He stated that the financial bodies should be consolidated to streamline and maximize support for education learners.
‘‘Our position is to create a merger between the TVET Funding Board, the University Funding Board, Higher Education Loans Board. We need a system that ensures our education is grounded on sound economics,’’ Ruto said.
Ruto also stated that a discussion will be held to decide how many university students the government can fund.
He noted that parents who have been able to sponsor their children in academies in basic education turn to university funding, edging out vulnerable students.
‘‘We have students in academies all through from standard one to form four, but when they go to university, we want to tell them we can pay for all of them,’’ the President stated.
He added: ‘‘We need to be afford honest with ourselves that let those who can afford, pay and let us think on how we can assist those who cannot afford rather than pretending that we are going to support all the children even when we are not in the position to.’’
The government will conduct a background check on all university students if this plan is enacted.
This will help calculate the financial requirements for students.
The Wings to Fly initiative from Equity Bank performs a similar background check.
Students may apply for the award, but county officials will investigate their financial circumstances to determine their eligibility.
According to the UFB’s strategic plan 2021-2026, the rapid increase in the number of students and institutions poses a difficulty for financing higher education.
The board’s investigation revealed that a number of households, particularly those from middle- and upper-income families, do not require financial assistance to attend college.
The plan states that inadequate funding has hindered government efforts to improve access, promote equity, and include students from low-income families and female students.
When applying for a loan, Helb, for example, requires the parents’ information as well as the student’s income.
However, the board does not perform a background check to confirm need.
Nevertheless, the given information will be utilized to determine the amount of the student’s loan.
This idea by Ruto parallels a previously revealed plan to unify the three university funding bodies.
There are three organizations: the Higher Education Loan Board, the Universities Funding Board, and Tvet.
In their remarks to the Education Review Team, university students and professors opposed the proposal.
Melvin Thogo, president of the University of Nairobi Student Association (UNSA), stated that the plan will not solve the university funding crisis.
This is the simplest way to disenfranchise students from this fund, despite the fact that it may initially appear appealing.
Friday, the UNSA chairwoman presented her recommendations to the presidential Working Group on Education Reforms.
By combining the finances, Thogo says the university administration will receive the money directly and then distribute it to the students.
Furthermore, professors opposed the merger, arguing that it would compromise the openness of the funds dispersed.
Maloba Wekesa, secretary of the UASU chapter at the UoN, stated that integrating the mandates of Helb and UF would be an enormous error.
Maloba stated that the two organizations should be permitted to operate autonomously within their mandate.
Wekesa opined that merging the Higher Educations Loans Board with the University Fund would be ill-advised. The Higher Educations Loans Board is responsible for the administration of student loans.
The union secretary stated that university funding should be budgeted and distributed semi-independently from the Ministry through the University Fund.
Govt to Stop Sponsoring University Students From Rich Families