Parents will be forced to dig deeper into their pockets after private universities raised tuition fees for government-sponsored students.
The state had initially reduced the capitation for the students in private universities from Ksh84, 217 allocated in 2018 to Ksh40,366 in the financial year ending in June- signifying a 52 percent drop according to data from the Universities Fund.
This prompted the institutions to increase tuition fees to Ksh20,000 per semester in a bid to cushion the universities from a financial crisis.
“Universities in Kenya are in a serious financial crisis because there is a continuous decline in government funding of universities amidst increased cost of administering education,” the UF stated in a report.
According to the current funding formula, the government caters for up to 80 percent of the tuition charges for government-sponsored students in universities, while the parents, guardians and institutions settle the remaining 20 percent.
The huge drop in funding has prompted private universities to resort to such measures in order to sustain the institutions.
However, it is not good news for parents who are already confronting harsh economic times, coupled with the ever-rising cost of living.
The situation is so dire that a petition has been presented before the education committee, raising questions on the guidelines used by institutions in order to increase the fees.
"Despite there being set fees for government-sponsored students, the institutions continue to charge more,” read the petition before the committee.
Cash strapped universities have come under pressure in the recent past- a matter that caught the attention of World Bank.
The multilateral financier reckoned that Kenya should merge the institutions of higher learning because of duplication of courses and the need to cut spending.
Recent data revealed that out of 102 public universities and campuses in the country - a deficit of Ksh6.2 billion was recorded in the year to June. The institutions received nearly Ksh70 billion from the Treasury.
