Students have until April 4 to give their comments on the new university funding model, as the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) in conjunction with the Universities Fund (UF) announced.
In an official joint statement dated Tuesday, April 1, the two bodies revealed that the move to call for public participation follows the ruling by the Court of Appeal’s stay order regarding the new funding model.
"UF and HELB therefore invite the public to submit comments and memoranda on the Appeals mechanism. The public participation exercise will run until April 4, 2025 at 5pm," the notice read in part.
On March 25, the Court of Appeal suspended a previous High Court ruling that had declared the government's new university funding model unconstitutional.
The ruling by the appellant court allowed the government to resume the Variable Scholarship Loan Funding Model, which categorises students based on financial need. The funding model placed students in five different financial bands from band 1 to band 5, with band one being the neediest and band five being the least needy.
In line with the ruling, HELB and UF have revealed that nationwide public engagements will be held from April 1 to April 4. Further, the bodies have assured parents, students, and relevant stakeholders that they have devised a transparent platform for the funds.
''In response, HELB and UF have developed a Scholarship and Loan Appeals Mechanism that provides an accessible and transparent platform for students to seek redress regarding their scholarship and loan awards," the statement read in part.
All stakeholders have been advised to send their comments and memoranda via HELB and UF emails, through the Huduma Centres and at HELB desks in designated centers across the country.
Students have also been invited for public engagement meetings at select universities and polytechnics nationwide on April 4.
Since the introduction of the model, University students across the country have staged protests against it many terming it as unfair. The protests got to the height of the students filing formal appeals against it.
Despite the backlash, the Court of Appeal has allowed the government to continue implementing the model while legal challenges are being heard.
The Ministry of Education has also assured that it would change and align the funding model with the regulations the court provided.
