President Ruto Unveils Student-Centered Funding Model for Public Universities
President William Ruto has announced a new university funding model aimed at addressing the debt crisis facing public universities in Kenya.
In a press briefing held at State House on May 3, the President said that the new model will be student-centered, and funds will be channeled through scholarships and loans.
The President clarified that the new model does not increase university fees and that the government would increase the financial budget allocated to universities from Ksh 54 billion to Ksh 84.6 billion in the new financial year.
Under the new model, universities and TVETs will no longer receive block funding in the form of capitation based on Differentiated Unit Cost. Instead, funding will be given to students on a graduated scale, combining scholarships, loans, and household contributions.
The President explained that students would be divided into three categories: the Vulnerable, the Less Vulnerable, and the Able, and would receive funding according to their category.
Vulnerable students would receive full scholarships, and their parents would not pay any amount for their children’s education.
“Universities and TVETS will no longer receive block funding in the form of capitation based on a Differentiated Unit Cost. Funding to students shall combine scholarships, loans and Household contributions on a graduated scale,” he stated.
Less vulnerable students would be offered a scholarship that would pay up to 53% of their education and a 40% loan, while those joining TVET institutions would receive scholarships of 50% of their fees and 30% in loans.
However, the President warned public universities against imposing additional costs on the programs offered at various institutions.
He emphasized that no public university should levy additional charges or raise its fees without the approval of the University Funding Board.
The new model will take effect in the next education year, and all continuing government-sponsored students will be supported in line with the previous model.
The President said that the new model was adopted after recommendations by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform in Kenya, led by Prof. Raphael Munavu, and several meetings with vice-chancellors of public universities in the country.
The new funding model is a step towards addressing the debt crisis bedeviling public universities, and it will help to make university education more accessible and affordable for Kenyan students.
President Ruto Unveils Student-Centered Funding Model for Public Universities
