UASU Criticizes New Higher Education Funding Model for Potential Student Dropouts
Onesmus Mutio, the Organising Secretary of the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU), has criticized the new higher education funding model implemented last year, attributing it to a potential increase in student dropouts across universities nationwide. He discussed this issue in an interview with a local media outlet last week.
Mutio explained that the new model requires universities to disclose the costs of their programs on the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) platform.
This enables students to choose between private and public universities based on their financial capabilities.
KUCCPS then assigns students to institutions according to the slots declared by the universities, which are subsequently approved by the Commission for University Education (CUE).
He emphasized that this system forces some students to enroll in courses they do not prefer due to their parents’ or guardians’ ability to afford the fees, leading to a higher likelihood of dropping out midway.
He noted that if a student’s passion lies in journalism but they are compelled to study accounting, the lack of interest could result in poor performance and eventual dropout. This situation, he argued, would negatively impact student morale and engagement in class.
Furthermore, Mutio predicted that the new funding model would lead to increased boredom among lecturers in various institutions. The rise in popularity of certain courses, like education, would result in lecturers being overworked due to the limited number of tutors available in universities, despite the growing student population.
KUCCPS statistics revealed that over 18,557 students chose private universities this year, compared to 9,622 last year. Some of the universities with the highest student allocations by KUCCPS include:
| University | Number of Students |
|---|---|
| Kenyatta University | 8,820 |
| Maseno University | 7,848 |
| Kisii University | 7,772 |
| University of Nairobi | 7,731 |
| Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology | 7,112 |
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Mutio warned that the new funding model could lead to a crisis, with students lacking passion for their studies and lecturers facing increased workloads due to the growing number of students.
