Relief after portal for university selection finally opens

Secretary Administration,Ministry of Education Fredrick Ndambuki, CEO Kenya University and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) Dr. Agnes Mercy Wahome, Board Chairman KUCCPS Cyrus Gitau and TVET Director Meshack Opwora after the official launch of KUCCPS strategic plan 2023/24-2027/28 during the KUCCPS Stakeholder Forum 2024 at the Edge Conventional Centre,College of Insurance, Nairobi. May 21,2024. [FILE]

It is a reprieve for candidates who sat last year’s KCSE as the government opened the courses application portal, ending three months of anxiety among students and parents.

On Friday, however, questions emerged whether Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba will address concerns raised by students over the new funding model, after he hinted at amendments to the co controversial plan.

The good news however is that the 246,000 candidates that scored a university entry mark now have three weeks to pick courses of their dreams and institutions they wish to join.

Additionally, applications for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and Teacher Training College (TTC) programs have also been opened.

According to the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS), students who sat for the KCSE examination in 2024 are exclusively eligible to apply for the university degree programs. 

Meanwhile, individuals who completed their KCSE between 2000 and 2024 can apply for TVET and TTC courses as the technical institutions move to boost enrollment. 

The placement body has set the application deadline for April 21, 2025. The application process will be conducted online through the KUCCPS student portal: students.kuccps.net.

The portal’s delayed opening follows a High Court ruling that nullified the new university funding model introduced in 2023. 

However, a Court of Appeal decision on Wednesday temporarily suspended the High Court judgment, allowing KUCCPS to proceed with applications.

In the judgement, the court further directed the Attorney General, the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB), and KUCCPS to publicize the funding framework within 14 days and establish an appeals mechanism for students dissatisfied with their categorization under the model.

They must inform all stakeholders—including current and incoming students—that the model may still be subject to change pending the final appeal decision.

The appeals court also directed to establish and publicize an appeals mechanism for students aggrieved by funding decisions.

This appeals mechanism will allow students to contest their categorization under the funding model also known as Variable Scholarship Loan Funding Model. 

But even as courses application starts, all eyes will be on the government to see whether it will implement these proposed changes to make higher education more accessible and affordable for all students.

The new funding model has been widely criticized, prompting the government to seek stakeholder input on potential reforms. 

During President William Ruto’s town hall meeting on the matter in August, students raised several concerns.

In the meeting, Evans Muchanga, a law student at Chuka University, argued that loan repayment terms are at the core of the controversy.

Citing the U.S. student loan crisis, Muchanga noted that a significant number of graduates struggle to repay loans, with defaulters reaching approximately 48 million.

He proposed that the loan component under the new model be converted into grants. 

If that is not feasible, he suggested extending the grace period for loan repayment and reducing interest rates which he described as punitive.

Newton Kipletin Langat, President of the Cooperative University Students Association, decried the government’s decision to exclude students pursuing diploma and certificate courses from funding.

Similarly, Mogesi Maroa, President of Mount Kenya University Law Campus, questioned why students in private universities only qualify for loans but are excluded from government scholarships. 

He suggested that the government reconsider its decision to reinstate scholarships for private university students. 

Under the old funding model, the government sponsored students in private institutions, but this policy was discontinued in 2023 when the new funding model was introduced. 

Consequently, this has led to a sharp decline in the number of students seeking to join the private institutions.

Students also proposed that funds allocated under the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) be diverted to HELB to boost scholarship allocations.

Another contentious issue is the categorization of students based on financial need. 

Many students have protested that a large proportion of learners are placed in the highest fee-paying bands, while only a small number qualify for maximum government support. 

They suggested expanding the financial bands to better reflect the diverse economic backgrounds of families.

Additionally, students criticized the use of only nine parameters to assess financial need, arguing that the Means Testing Instruments (MTIs) are insufficient and prone to errors. 

They questioned how students from the same family could end up in different financial bands.

In particular, students are calling for the abolition of bands 4 and 5, which require households to pay the highest direct fees. 

They also urged the government to revise and lower the cost of university programs.