KUCCPS to open portal for 2023/2024 university placement next week
Students hoping to join universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions (TVETs) in 2023 will make their applications next week after the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) opens the portal.
KUCCPS Chief Executive Officer Agnes Mercy Wahome said this during a meeting with registrars of all universities.
The Universities are expected to provide information on the cost of their programmes to KUCCPS after which the service will publish the information to help students make their choices.
Dr Wahome has instructed the registrars to provide the cost of all their programmes irrespective of whether the students are self-sponsored or government-sponsored.
“What’s the cost of your programme? The many definitions [of students] as government-sponsored or self-sponsored cause complications. What does it cost to offer the service,” Dr Wahome posed.
Dr Wahome told the registrars to only give the cost of the various programmes excluding the accommodation and meals costs.
During the meeting with registrars, Dr Wahome asked the institutions to only provide the actual cost of the first year of each programme for purposes of admitting the 2022 candidates.
Previously, universities have been funded through the Universities Funding using the differentiated unit cost (DUC) which was implemented in 2015.
It provides the maximum cost of courses across all universities but this is bound to change under the new system as universities have varying costs.
Dr Wahome said that the cost of programmes in engineering and clinical medicine will likely vary over the years because of the internships that go with them.
Kuccps has already written to universities so that they provide the costs for their programs.
“Kindly note that even though Kuccps will publish all programmes, the government will only provide scholarships to students who select degree programmes in public universities. Therefore, students who will select programs in private universities and Tvets, will not get government scholarships, and will only be eligible to apply for Helb loan.” Said Dr Wahome.
There has been a delay in opening the Kuccps courses selection portal this year. This was a result of the government’s delay to provide funding guidelines for Universities and colleges.