University Funding Applications Deadline to October

Machogu Extends Varsity Funding Applications Deadline to October; How to Apply.

Education CS Ezekiel Machogu has extended the deadline for applications for higher education funding by one month in response to a low application rate that has left approximately half of students with only a single day to apply.

Students applying to universities and colleges of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) have until October 7, 2023, to submit their applications.

Initially, the application portal was scheduled to conclude on Thursday, September 7, 2023, but only 156,532 students (or 59% of the anticipated 265,000) have applied.

Since the portal opened on July 31, 2023, 108,468 students have not yet submitted an application, raising concerns that some of them will be ineligible for government aid, as only those who apply are eligible for scholarships and student loans.

Some students have complained that the application process is too sluggish, while others have cited a lack of infrastructure due to the online nature of the application procedure.

The Universities Fund (UF) and the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) have been instructed to implement measures to expedite the processing of scholarships and bursaries for all applicants.

Mr. Machogu said in a statement that the agencies will ensure the processing and disbursement exercise is conducted on an ongoing basis.
The Ministry of Education has also waived the identification requirement for applicants under the age of 18.

There are approximately 2,000 minors who are qualified for and enrolled in postsecondary education.

“We strongly encourage students to apply for both grants and loans. Geoffrey Monari, chief executive officer of the UF, remarked, “We’ve observed that some individuals are not applying.”

Both scholarship and loan applications are housed on the same website. This is the first time this model has been applied to finance higher education since the government abandoned the differentiated unit cost (DUC) system.

Checklist for Government Funding Applications

Below is the checklist of requirements for applying for government funding under the new funding model for students who took the KCSE exams in 2022:

A valid email address.
A valid telephone number (registered in your name, required for loan application).
KCPE and KCSE index numbers along with the year of examination.
Passport-sized photographs.
A copy of your national ID (now not mandatory for loan applications).
college or university admission letter.
Your birth certificate.
Registered telephone numbers of your parents.
National ID numbers of your parents.
Death certificate in the event of the demise of either parent.
ID numbers and registered telephone numbers of two guarantors (needed for loan application)
Copy of the sponsorship letter if you received sponsorship during your secondary school education.

CS Machogu has instructed public institutions to admit all students while their applications are being processed. The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (Kuccps) placed 140,107 students in private and public universities (130,485 in public universities and 9,622 in private universities).

As a prerequisite for admission at Chuka University, students were required to provide proof that they had applied for financial assistance from the government. They were, however, permitted to pay whatever fees they could afford.

There are a total of 145,060 students in TVET institutions. Only those attending public institutions are eligible for both the scholarship and the loan, whereas those attending private institutions are only eligible for the loan.

How to Apply For Government Funding

Applicants must visit https://www.hef.co.ke/ to submit an application with a checklist that satisfies the requirements outlined above.

On the platform, one must initially register/log in, complete their profile and attach their documents, check the box to apply for a scholarship or loan, and then submit their application.

It is also important to note that private university students are ineligible for government scholarships but can apply for HELB loans.

The new funding model will have no effect on continuing students, who will continue to receive funding according to the previous funding model.

To apply, please visit the following website link: www.hef.co.ke/

Verification Process

After the portal is closed, the Helb and UF will take seven days to verify the applications; the following day, scholarships and loans will be distributed. Scholarships and student loans will be disbursed based on the opening dates of the numerous institutions.

Scholarship funds and loans for tuition will be disbursed directly to institutions, while loans for living expenses will be disbursed directly to students’ accounts. Students have complained about application portal downtime. Some universities have also established assistance desks on campus to assist those in need.

Students can also receive assistance at Huduma Centers located nationwide. Among other factors, students will be divided into four categories based on their household income.

Students from households without income will be deemed vulnerable, while students from households with a monthly income of up to Sh23,670 will be considered extremely needy.

According to the means assessment instrument that will be used to classify the students, those with household incomes between Sh23,672 and Sh70,000 per month will be considered needy, while those with household incomes between Sh70,001 and Sh200,000 per month will be considered less needy.

Other factors to be considered are parental background, gender, course type, previous school type, educational expenditures, family size and composition, marginalization, and disability.

This model will only have an impact on new students who take their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) in 2022. Continuing students will continue to use the previous funding model.

Machogu stated that the funding allocated for scholarships and loans would be contingent on the assessed level of need for each student. He highlighted that a scientific approach would be employed to determine the specific needs of students, ensuring that those in need receive sufficient support for their university education.

Mr Machogu made these remarks during his recent appearance before Parliament.

The new funding mechanism is anticipated to cost Sh39.4 billion during the Financial Year 2023-2024.

Instead of the recommended 80 per cent, continuing students in their second, third, fourth, and fifth years will be funded at a rate of Sh34.1 billion, or 42.6% of the DUC. Consequently, the State will continue to owe universities billions of shillings in unpaid DUC.

At present, the government owes universities a total of Sh147 billion, while universities owe creditors Sh61 billion.

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