On Sunday, the Ministry of Education assured Kenyans that higher education remained affordable despite an uproar over increased university fees.
Higher Education Principal Secretary Beatrice Muganda Inyangala revealed that university students would receive a minimum of Ksh40,000 annually for upkeep in the new university model.
According to the PS, the amount of upkeep would vary depending on the level of need of individual students.
Students from abled families will receive Ksh40,000 upkeep money with the Ministry of Education catering for 60 per cent of education expenses.
University students from vulnerable families will receive a sizeable sum of Ksh60,000 on top of the government financing 95 per cent of their undergraduate studies.
On the other hand, extremely needy students will have 90 per cent of their higher education financed by the government with an accompanying Ksh55,000 upkeep money.
Needy and less needy students will receive upkeep money of between Ksh45,000 and Ksh50,000 with the government also financing up to 80 per cent of their education.
While the upkeep money will be used to cater for the student’s personal needs, PS Inyangala revealed that it was a loan and the student would be required to pay upon completion of undergraduate studies.
PS Inyangala further told students expecting to join universities in September that the amount of household contribution would be communicated on August 5.
On how the government would determine household contributions for each student, the PS revealed that the Ministry had created different variables to determine the amount.
“A number of variables include poverty probability index of the student’s location; safety net data; parental income; nature of sponsorship at primary and secondary level if any; if an orphaned or single parent,” she explained.
President William Ruto had earlier explained that having parents contribute part of the school fees was key to ensuring the sustainability of the education system.
