PS: ‘Education Has Never Been This Affordable’ in Response to University Funding Changes.
The government has extended the deadline for funding applications for the 2023 KCSE cohort in an effort to allay worries around controversial university funding.
Beatrice Inyangala, the principal secretary for higher education and research, vehemently defended the new university funding arrangement, which has been criticized. “There has never been a more affordable education,” she claimed in a Monday interview with Citizen TV.
The goal of the extension is to accommodate the large number of students who have not yet applied for the much-needed financial aid. The deadline will now be August 15, 2024.
Inyangala released a statement on Monday night that said, “We are happy to announce that the application process has been extended by ten days, closing on August 15, 2024.”
The intricacy and openness of the new funding arrangement have drawn criticism. During a Citizen TV appearance, Inyangala, however, disputed these assertions and maintained that the model’s goal is to increase accessibility to education.
She said, “Education has never been more affordable,” emphasizing that low-income families will just have to pay Ksh 6,000 a year.
Based on their level of financial need, students are divided into five categories under the model. Ninety-five percent of government assistance is given to those in band one, which represents the most vulnerable. Inyangala emphasized, “A student from a vulnerable background in band one pursuing a BA program will not pay more than Ksh 6,000 a year.”
The former Differentiated Unit Cost (DUC) system, which distributed block money to institutions, is radically different from this concept.
According to government data as of August 4, 2024, 74,237 university students had not yet submitted their applications, while 79,038 students had applied for loans and scholarships.
On June 18, 2024, the Ministry of Education first opened the application portal, indicating a proactive approach to student funding.
The administration has emphasized the benefits of the new funding arrangement, although there have been some difficulties in implementing it. Confusion has been brought about by misinformation about program expenses and parental payments.
“There are no bottlenecks in the applications for scholarships and loans; however, there has been a lot of disinformation and misinformation about the program cost and how it relates to the fees that the parents will pay,” said Dr. Beatrice Muganda Inyangala in response to this concern.
The DUC system has been replaced by a new funding model that takes a more sophisticated approach to financial aid. Depending on the student’s need, the Universities Fund (UF) offers scholarships ranging from thirty percent to seventy percent. In order to cover any financial shortages, the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) supports these scholarships with loans.
153,275 students from the 2023 KCSE cohort have been assigned to both public and private universities by KUCCPS. Government assistance is contingent upon students submitting grant applications.
Some respite is provided by Inyangala’s guarantee that no costs are due until the categorization procedure is finished. An important step toward fair education has been taken with the government’s commitment to pay between 60 and 95 percent of the costs, depending on socioeconomic levels. Households will be responsible for covering the remaining expenses, with parental contributions capped at 40%.
The success of this funding approach will depend on efficient implementation and clear communication. To make sure that resources are distributed equitably, the Means Testing Instrument (MTI) must be used to evaluate financial needs.
This procedure is intended to be streamlined through the partnership of UF, HELB, KUCCPS, and the State Department of Technical and Vocational Education and Training.
PS: ‘Education Has Never Been This Affordable’ in Response to University Funding Changes.
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