The government on Tuesday, May 16, explained the modalities it is exploring in identifying 45,000 needy students who qualify for full university funding.
While appearing on Citizen TV, University Fund (UF) boss Geoffrey Monari and Principal Secretary in the State Department of Higher Education and Research, Beatrice Inyangala, revealed that the system would be purely scientific.
In what will be a first for Higher Education Loans Board (HELB), Monari explained that the institution would use an algorithm to determine who deserved full funding from the government and who would receive partial funding.
“It will be hard for students to lie their level of need since HELB will use different databases for verification.
University Fund CEO Geoffrey Monari speaking at an event on March 25, 2022,
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Geoffrey Monari
“The information students will provide will be cross-checked through Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), The National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), and The National Social Security Fund (NSSF) to determine whether the students lied in their application about the level incomes of their parents,” Monari explained.
He further indicated that Identity Card numbers were linked to Integrated Population Registration System (IPRS) making it possible to establish the level of need after looking at the different databases.
“Currently we are exploring how the student’s details can be linked to the population census where various households had given their level of income,” he added.
On whether students from single parents would be prioritised, Monari explained, “We will look at the schools where the student attended. If the student was self-sponsored to a top private school, that will be an indicator they do not need the full funding.”
Inyangala added that the income of parents would also determine if the student got full funding.
“If someone is earning a monthly salary of Ksh70,000 and they only have one student and another one is earning the same amount but has eight children, the latter would be preferred,” she explained.
The PS also added that the courses children select would also determine how much they would receive.
“We will give more support to students who are pursuing areas that are national priorities at the moment. These are courses that promote the bottom-up economic agenda,” she explained.
President William Ruto on Wednesday, May 3, unveiled a new student-centred university funding model.
“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,” the President explained.
In the new model, only 45,000 of 173,000 university students would receive full government funding.
The rest will receive funding in the form of scholarships and loans depending on the level of need.
A photo of university students during a group discussion.
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KCA University
