In a move set to bring relief to first-year students, the government has released the initial sum of sh.3.9 billion for scholarships within public universities.
This disbursement is part of the New Higher Education Funding Model, aiming to support government-sponsored students who successfully applied via the recently introduced Higher Education Financing portal.
Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu shared the news on Saturday, emphasizing that the funds would reach beneficiaries who completed their applications through the Higher Education Financing portal (www.hef.co.ke), operational since August 31, 2023.
The allocated funds are scheduled to be sent to all universities by the upcoming Monday, benefitting a total of 115,892 first-year students who successfully secured scholarships by the application deadline of November 29, 2023.
To streamline the distribution process, Machogu clarified that the Universities Fund would directly disburse the Ksh.3.9 billion to individual universities.
This funding aims to cover tuition fees based on each student’s specific needs under the New Funding Model.
Machogu stated, “All universities will receive the scholarship portions for their respective students by 4th December 2023.”
This allocation adds up to sh.9.2 billion, marking the total amount released by the government for first-year students under the New Model introduced in May by President William Ruto.
Highlighting a recent development, Machogu mentioned that the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) disbursed sh.5.3 billion for loans to the inaugural group of first-year students who completed their KCSE in 2022.
The disbursement process utilized the Means Testing Instrument (MTI), a recently established tool determining students’ levels of financial need to allocate individual shares.
This substantial financial support reflects the government’s commitment to enhancing access to higher education, providing a significant boost to first-year students pursuing their academic journeys in public universities.
Government Allocates Sh.3.9 Billion For First-Year University Scholarships, Government Allocates Sh.3.9 Billion For First-Year University Scholarships