Government extends university funding deadline, releases Sh23 billion for students

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba.[File/Standard] First-year students seeking government support to pay university fees now have until September 14 to make applications for funding after the government extended the application deadline initially set for August 31. At the same time, the cash-strapped universities got a temporary reprieve on Friday after the government released Sh23.16 billion in tuition and upkeep support for university and TVET learners. The funds come after an earlier disbursement of Sh9.46 billion to 309,178 university students to support operations and learners earlier in August with Sh5.76 billion to universities for tuition and Sh3.7 billion for upkeep. The funds serve as a relief for public universities that began reopening last week for the new academic year amid a financial and administrative crisis that continues to frustrate both students and staff. According to the ministry, the Universities Fund Board has disbursed Sh4.1 billion directly to public universities to support eligible students through scholarships. The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) has released Sh19.06 billion, split into Sh7.6 billion for tuition and Sh11.46 billion for upkeep. The upkeep funds are being deposited directly into students' designated payment channels as they report for the new academic year. "We are pleased to notify parents, guardians, university and TVET students that the Universities Fund and HELB have, as of today, disbursed a total of Ksh. 23.16 billion to 802,159 students countrywide," Ogamba said in a statement dated August 29. The ministry has directed the students to log into their Higher Education Funding portals to confirm the status of their allocations and avoid delays, particularly those joining institutions in the coming weeks. The announcement comes at a critical time for the sector, which has been strained by budget cuts and rising living costs and in the wake of slashed university fees. In July, the Ministry of Education announced a tuition fee reduction of between 15 and 40 per cent on all university programs that will affect over 500,000 students under the new funding model. "The Government will continue to provide the requisite funding to ensure that higher education remains accessible and affordable and that no student is left behind on account of financial limitations," Ogamba said in the statement. However, despite the government releasing capitation funds to institutions, many universities are still struggling. The funds come after five months without government funding that pushed universities to the brink of shutdown. The Standard has established that the government has yet to remit Sh22 billion for student tuition fees meant for last year. The Standard has established that the government is yet to release Sh13 billion in loans, and another Sh9 billion in scholarships is yet to be disbursed under the new funding model. This now adds up to the Sh85 billion already owed to the public universities, further straining the institution's survival and operations.

Government extends university funding deadline, releases Sh23 billion for students

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Government extends university funding deadline, releases Sh23 billion for students

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