Higher Education Students Face Increased Fees as Budget Cuts Loom
Students enrolling in higher education institutions may face increased tuition fees following a proposal by the Budget and Appropriations Committee to reduce the funding budget.
In the report released on Thursday, titled the Report on the Consideration of the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the 2024/25 Financial Year, the committee suggested significant cuts to the Universities Funding Board’s budget.
The Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro-led committee recommended a reduction of Ksh5.2 billion from the board’s recurrent budget, which would affect students joining universities in September 2024.
This budget cut could force universities to raise fees, impacting a large number of students and potentially leading to fewer students being able to attend university.
The Universities Funding Board, which is responsible for allocating funds to universities based on established criteria, as well as mobilizing and receiving funding from the government, donors, and other sources, is directly affected by this proposal.
The new university funding model, introduced to ensure all students, including those attending universities, colleges, and TVETs, receive necessary funding, has faced significant challenges since its implementation less than a year ago.
Recently, members of parliament were informed that many students had chosen not to attend university due to inadequate facilitation stemming from issues with the new model.
These challenges led the Education Committee to instruct universities to recall admission letters, citing anomalies in the fee structure despite the new funding model.
In addition to the Universities Funding Board budget cuts, the committee also proposed a Ksh40 million reduction in the Commission for University Education (CUE) budget.
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Further recommendations included reducing the Open University of Kenya’s budget by Ksh200 million, cutting Ksh90 million from infrastructure support development budgets, reducing Ksh12.6 million from public participation projects, and decreasing the Ksh30 million budget allocated for building hostels.
On a positive note, the committee proposed an increase of Ksh6 billion in recurrent funding for public universities. This increase aims to support continuing students who are still funded under the old Differentiated Unit Cost model.
Higher Education Students Face Increased Fees as Budget Cuts Loom
