The Ministry of Education is planning to raise the University entry cut-off grade from the current C+ in order to reduce the number of students joining universities.
Reports indicate that enrolling all students who scored C+ and above in the 2018 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams will have huge cost implications to the government hence the decision.
The number of students who qualify for university admission for the 2019 intake has reportedly increased by about 20,000, meaning that an additional Ksh2 billion may be required to fund their education.
More so, the government is, according to a report by The Standard, discussing whether State-sponsored students should continue their studies in private universities.
In 2016, President Uhuru Kenyatta instructed the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) to place some 10,000 students in private universities in order to increase access to institutions of higher learning.
The students placed in these institutions were funded at the same rate as those admitted in public universities.
However, private universities have stated that they will need Ksh4 billion for 2019 admissions, including arrears owed to the institutions.
On the other hand, an analysis of the enrolment data showed that there were students who opted to transfer from public to private institutions to pursue various programmes under government funding.
Transfers from public to private universities were attributed to better facilities and competitive programmes in private institutions.
Public universities were also blamed for cases of missing marks and strikes which affect student's performance.
During the launch of placement of university students, on Wednesday, Education CS Amina Mohamed announced that all candidates who scored C+ and above in 2018 KCSE would proceed to join institutions of higher learning.
