The Kenyan government has announced that 45,000 students who sat for the 2022 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams will receive 100 per cent scholarships.
The Education Cabinet Secretary, Ezekiel Machogu, introduced a new funding model to support students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
The scholarships will cover the full cost of university education for eligible students. However, students from affluent families, who can afford to pay for their children’s university education, will not be eligible for the scholarships.
All candidates who achieved the minimum university entry grade of C+ in the 2022 KCSE Examination, totalling 173,127 students, will qualify for placement in universities.
Those who obtained a grade of C (plain) or below will be absorbed into Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions across the country.
The Education Cabinet Secretary emphasized that the government will fully fund the education costs of the 45,000 students from needy and vulnerable backgrounds, as announced by the President.
This initiative aims to ensure that deserving students have access to higher education regardless of their financial circumstances.
In line with the new funding model, government scholarships will only be granted to students who choose to study at public universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges.
Private universities, on the other hand, will not receive grants but instead offer education loans through the Higher Education Loans Board.
This decision was made due to concerns over the auditing of funds allocated to private institutions in previous years.