Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua was on Sunday implored by church-based institutions to plead with President William Ruto to reconsider the new funding model for universities and colleges.
The University of Eastern Africa, Baraton, conveyed this message on behalf of the church-based institutions, which ride the risk of losing millions from the government in the form of scholarships.
Baraton delivered a statement during the 41st Graduation Ceremony, expressing that unless the funding model is revised, there's a risk of dwindling numbers that could potentially result in closure.
“Church academic institutions are for non-profit making organisations. What we do is for the benefit of the society,” the University complained of being left out of government-funded scholarship schemes.
“We ask you when you have a discussion with the President to take a soft corner.”
To demonstrate how the new funding model was affecting faith-based institutions, Baraton announced that it had only been able to attract 5,000 students out of 881,416 students who sat for the 2022 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE).
Baraton further requested the Deputy President to have a look at capitation advanced to private universities for students placed under government-sponsored programs.
For instance, the institution divulged that when the government started placing students in private universities in 2017, the institutions used to receive Ksh70,000.
The figure was then gradually reduced and in the 2022/2023 academic year, the amount had reduced to Ksh19,000.
“Even students from secondary school pay higher fees than that,” the institution complained.
The Deputy President defending the new funding model noted that it had been necessitated by the need to save universities and students from financial challenges.
The Funding Model
President William Ruto’s government has allocated Ksh15 billion towards facilitating students to join university in September 2023.
Students who have been placed by Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) will be financed depending on their level of need.
Students from vulnerable categories will have 82 per cent of their tuition fee financed through scholarships and 18 per cent through loans. If deemed extremely needy, a student will receive a 70 per cent scholarship and a 30 per cent loan from the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB).
Students with middle-income level capacity will receive a 53 per cent scholarship and a maximum 40 per cent loan from HELB while less needy students will receive a 38 per cent scholarship and 55 per cent loan.
Under the new program, the government will no longer provide sponsorship for students in private universities, who will now depend on educational loans.
