Proposal to Hike Varsity Fees By 225%
The Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms recently submitted its second interim report to President William Ruto, which proposes a number of controversial measures aimed at rescuing universities from financial difficulties.
The task force suggests increasing university fees from Sh16,000 to Sh52,000, a proposal that has previously been met with strong opposition from parents and student unions.
In addition to raising fees, the team also recommends that the government provide increased funding to universities in order to match enrolment numbers.
To further alleviate the financial burden, the report suggests waiving the debts that universities owe to statutory bodies.
The proposed increase from Sh16,000 to Sh52,000 represents a 225% rise, which is likely to create financial difficulties for many families. The increase has been met with resistance from parents and student unions, who argue that it will exclude many from accessing higher education.
The report also suggests that universities be relieved of the burden of debt owed to statutory bodies. This measure would provide some relief to universities that are struggling to balance their budgets.
Despite the controversial nature of the proposals put forward in the report, the State House has remained silent on the matter. This lack of response has left many wondering whether the government is considering the reforms or not.
The report proposes the government finance all government-sponsored trainees in public TVET institutions based on the Direct University and College (DUC) model, which requires the government to support 80% of tuition fees for learners in universities, with households and other sources responsible for the remaining 20%.
However, the President has reportedly challenged the working party to come up with a more sustainable funding formula, as the current DUC model has not been meeting its 80% funding target for universities.
The government’s contribution to public universities has been dwindling, with only Sh126.931 billion of the required Sh187.469 billion disbursed in the last three years.
TVETs students are entitled to a capitation or grant of Sh30,000 and a loan of Sh40,000 per student per year, but Helb, which provides student loans, has said its current budget cannot meet the increasing demand for TVET loans. As a result, 128,893 students from various TVET colleges missed out on loans in the year 2021/2022.
The report recommends an increase in resources allocated to the TVET sector in line with trends in enrolment to support expansion of physical facilities and equipment, as well as training in ICT infrastructure.
Sources in the education sector have said that the reduction in the percentage of Direct University and College (DUC) funding has been a major negative impact on higher learning institutions’ financial status, leading to deficit budgets and huge pending bills.
The report notes that the DUC percentage has decreased over time, from 60.7% in the 2019/2020 financial year to 49.51% in the 2021/2022 financial year, as more students have enrolled in universities without an equivalent increase in resource allocation.
The working party has been challenged to rethink the funding formula for universities and TVETs to ensure sustainable funding for both sectors.
Proposal to Hike Varsity Fees By 225%
