HELB Denies Underage Students Government Funding Despite Machogu’s Directive
Hundreds of students from low-income households have been denied government aid and sponsorship because they are underage.
The students, many of whom were unable to write their end-of-semester examinations due to fee issues, accuse the government of breaking its pledge that no student would be denied government assistance.
In late August, the cabinet relaxed the need for underage student scholarship and loan applicants to have a national identity card in order to be eligible for allocations from the Higher Education Loans Board.
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However, this exceptional decision had no effect on the majority of underage university students, who have yet to obtain government funding. According to the students whose identities we have concealed because they are minors and wish to escape victimization, their future in school is gloomy at the present.
Despite the cabinet’s directive to the Higher Education Loans Board to avoid the legal morass of getting into contractual agreements with minors, HELB appears to have ignored it.
Some Egerton University first-year students are likewise in the same position after the higher education finance system denied them scholarships. Students from low-income families now want the government to keep its promise that no child will be denied access to higher education.
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“yaani wale wengine tuko nao hostel walipata lakini mimi sikupata kitu lakini mimi sikupata kitu.” ilibidi niwakope wanisaidie angalau nipate kitu. nikiangalia hali ya mzazi nyumbani hataweza na hii karo ni nyingi,” says Josh Mwarui from Egerton University.
“Nikiangalia hali ya mzazi nyumbani hataweza na hii karo ni nyingi,” says Egerton University’s Josh Mwarui.
“We want the government to give us the money we need so that we can continue our studies,” Egerton University’s Josh Mwarui says.
While denying that the board is penalizing students for being too young, CEO Charles Ringera of the Higher Education Loans Board told Citizen TV that “the board has successfully allocated funding to over 26,000 underage first year students, with the exception of a few challenges where the bank details of guardians and parents supplied by students do not match those of the student.”
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The board is addressing this issue by urging students to open mobile money accounts for convenient payout.
Around 2,000 individuals who enrolled in higher education and sought for loans and scholarships do not have national identity cards since they are under the age of eighteen.
For the time being, those affected are considering delaying their education till they reach the age of 18, while also questioning how the government deemed them eligible for scholarships in high school but not at the university level.
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HELB Denies Underage Students Government Funding Despite Machogu’s Directive
