VCs directed to provide data on cost of courses

Dr Inyangala, in a circular dated April 4, also urged the institution heads to share the information with the Universities Funding Board indicating the actual cost of programmes on the institutions website for the new intake this year.

She also cautioned that no institution should hike fees for any of the courses.

''No public university shall levy additional charges or raise fees without the approval of the Universities Funding Board,'' Dr Inyangala said.

The details will give parents an option of weighing the consequences of the facilities, courses and cost implications before making their decision on where to take their children.

While appearing before the Public Investment and Governance on Education committee on Thursday, Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu said the government is committed to ensure ailing public universities are revived and their financial status improved.

Machogu said this will be possible by implementing new universities funding models unveiled by the government and will commence with the new cohort of 173,000 joining universities and additional 145,325 joining TVETs.

Machogu said the government has developed an instrument that will be used by the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) that will categorise learners based on their level of need under vulnerable, less vulnerable and able.

''Funding to students shall combine scholarships, loans and household contributions on a graduated scale, scientifically determined by means of testing instruments,'' Machogu said.

Under the new formula, universities and TVETS will receive funding consisting of both scholarship, loans and households' contribution on graduated scale.

However, learners will no longer receive block funding in the form of capitation based on the previous Differentiated Unit Cost.

This, the government says will enable institutions of higher learning to be self-sustainable giving learners an opportunity to access more funds.

On Wednesday, the Head of State said the government will increase funding for university education to Sh84.6 billion from Sh54 billion allocated in the current financial year as loans and grants. This translates to an allocation increase per student from Sh152, 000 to Sh208, 000.

In the new measures announced by President Ruto, students will get State funding for university education based on where they fall in four categories identified by the government.

Chiefs and local pastors will play a key role in identifying the various categories of students through a system known as means testing criteria (MTI) developed by the Higher Education Loans Board (Helb).

Presently, all students who get placed by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (Kuccps) and get admitted to universities get automatic state funding regardless of the need.

Ruto said only deserving cases will now get State funding.