Nearly 70,000 Students Yet to Apply for University Funding Despite ID Waiver
As of now, 69,078 students who are set to join universities in September have not yet applied for government funding.
This includes scholarships and loans that are available to support their education.
According to the Higher Education Principal Secretary, Beatrice Inyangala, only 83,922 students have applied for the available financial assistance.
In May, the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) announced the placement of approximately 153,000 students in both private and public universities.
This highlights that there is still a significant number of students who need to apply for funding, with the application window closing in just eight days.
Changes to Application Requirements
To facilitate the application process, the government has waived the requirement for an Identification Card (ID) when applying for scholarships and loans.
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Instead, students will use their former index numbers. For those under 18, a birth certificate must be attached to their application, while those over 18 will need to provide proof of ID application.
Inyangala emphasized that government support will only be available to students who have applied for funding.
To accommodate this, the Ministry of Education has extended the application deadline for the 2023 KCSE students joining the university in the 2024-25 academic year by 10 days, moving it to August 15, 2024.
The application portal for scholarships and loans opened on June 18, 2024, and the application process has been ongoing since then.
Funding Model and Fee Structure
The government announced last month that universities would communicate the new fee structure by August 5, 2024, under the New Funding Model.
ALSO READ: Advocacy Groups Demand Action on Withheld KCSE Certificates
This model allocates government funding based on individual student needs. Additionally, the Principal Secretary stated that parents and guardians will be informed about the university fees and household contributions toward the cost of university programs starting from August 19.
Nearly 70,000 Students Yet to Apply for University Funding Despite ID Waiver
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