How to change your course and institution after placement in Kenyan Universities

You don't have to pursue a course that you are not comfortable with. It is even worse to allow yourself to attend an institution that doesn't serve your interests. Anyone who wants to change the institution that they have been placed in can follow this process, "The inter-institutional transfer is done online. This means that applicants log in to their student's portal, fill an application form, download and print it. The form is then taken to the respective heads of the institutions that the student wishes to transfer to and seeks for endorsement before it is submitted to the Placement Service for processing. During the inter-institution transfer application, a student may apply to change both the course and the institution or just the institution," says Dr. Muraguri.

However, the inter institution change has a time limit. "The online application for the transfers opens and closes within a specific period and no application is received after the deadline. For the 2017 KCSE candidates, the online system opened for inter-institutional transfer application during the entire month of May, 2018. On May 31st, the system closed; hence anyone who did not apply online during that period cannot apply," revealed the CEO.

This year, the Education Cabinet Secretary, Amina Mohamed released the placement data on Monday 9th April. 69,151 candidates had scored C+ and above and they qualified for university. However, only 62, 851 of them were placed for degree courses in various universities. Although some students got the chance of changing their institutions during the window period, the exact statistics are still not available as the CEO of the service, disclosed that, "The Placement Service is currently reconciling the numbers."

STEPS FOR CHANGING INSTITUTIONS:

KUCCPS advises all students who want to change the institutions (applicants) that they have been called to not to listen to anyone posing on social media as their agent. Instead they can go to their online portal and follow the following steps:

1. Log into the student's portal and follow the prompts outlined in the website.

2. Successfully follow and complete all the processes outlined in the portal and pay the application fee for the transfer. Don't pay or make any arrangements before completing the process successfully.

3. The application fee should be paid via a specified MPESA Pay Bill number stipulated in the portal and not anyone's private mobile number. After the payment you will get a confirmation from KUCCPS and MPESA.

4. The application form should be completed, downloaded and printed and presented to the heads of the two institutions that are concerned. These two should consent, sign and stamp the form.

In case the process is confusing, make sure that you have contacted KUCCPS via their portal. The universities and colleges can also guide you on how to handle the process.