Parents Asked to Pursue Student Fee Refunds from Universities
Parents who paid university enrollment fees for their children can now receive a refund from their respective institutions.
Vice Chancellors stated that no parent or student was compelled to pay fees and that those who did so did so voluntarily.
Prof. Daniel Mugendi, the chairperson of the Vice Chancellors Committee, stated that if any parent had made payments, it must have been done willingly, without any coercion.
He further explained that in the event of a categorization change that resulted in no payment requirement, the university would be in a position to provide refunds.
Some university vice chancellors are disobeying a government directive to collect fees before admitting first-year students.
A spot-check by the Standard indicates some institutions demand students pay up to seven percent of the tuition fees, irrespective of their classification, before they are approved for admission.
Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu ordered that no student be denied admission to a university due to fees.
Prof. Mugendi, who is also the Vice-Chancellor of Embu University, defended his colleagues by noting that no institution required parents to pay tuition fees.
However, students revealed that some institutions had denied admission to students who had not paid the equivalent of seven percent of their tuition.
Prof. Mugendi stated that until the higher education fund (comprised of the Universities Fund and HELB) finalizes the categorization of the students, new first-year students presently being admitted to public universities are exempt from paying tuition fees under the new funding model.
In addition, the Vice Chancellors’ Committee revealed that Kenyatta University has accepted 7,752 of the 7,979 candidates placed by KUCCPS.
Kisii University has accepted 7,160 of the 8,670 students who applied, while Moi University has accepted 4,103 of the 5,480 students who applied.
Mugendi stated that students who require additional services, such as housing, can pay the requisite amount.
Mugendi mentioned that guardians should also consider ways to assist the students temporarily, including providing accommodation and meals until the categorization process is completed.
Data from University Funding revealed on Friday that approximately 109,100 students enrolled in universities had applied for government scholarships, loans, or both.
This indicates that 31,007 students have yet to apply for government aid. Additionally, 53,736 students enrolled in TVET institutions have applied for government funding.
On Wednesday, Machogu extended the application deadline for scholarships and financing to October 7.
Parents Asked to Pursue Student Fee Refunds from Universities
