The first tranche of funds for government-sponsored first-year students at public universities under the new higher education funding model has been released by the government, totaling Sh3.9 billion.
By November 29, 2023, 115,892 first-year students had successfully applied for scholarships, according to a press release from Cabinet Secretary for Education Ezekiel Machogu.
Recipients of the scholarships are individuals who submitted their applications through the Higher Education Financing portal, which became live on August 31, 2023 (www.hef.co.ke).
Machogu added that with the delivery of the scholarship funds, the government has now given first-year students Sh9.2 billion under the new higher education finance model that President William Ruto unveiled on May 31, 2023.
He stated that Sh5.3 billion in loans for first-year students were given out by the government through the Higher Education Loans Board at the beginning of this month.
“The allocation of funds to students was based on a reliable scientific method, Means Testing Instrument (MTI), used to determine the student’s level of financial need, to ensure they are supported adequately. First-year students who sat the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education Examination in 2022 are the first cohort to benefit from the new model,” said the CS.
The Ministry of Education, according to the CS, affirms the government’s steadfast dedication to encouraging access to higher education and offering financial aid to all worthy students in order to guarantee that no one is left behind.
By December 4th, 2023, the CS guaranteed that all universities will get the scholarship shares for their individual pupils.
Under the new funding approach, Universities Fund will pay the successful applicants’ tuition fees directly to the respective universities, with the amount of Sh3.9 billion being distributed based on the student’s particular need.
