Shock for students, parents after universities defy fees guidelines

President William Ruto receives Presidential Working Party on Education Reform report at State House, Nairobi, on August 1, 2023. [PCS]

Some university heads have defied guidelines issued under the new funding formula.

Students and their parents will now have to contend with uncertainty on the matter that appeared settled.

Universities Fund Chief Executive Officer Geoffrey Monari had indicated that fees declared by the various institutions would stand for the entire programme.

He said the universities are not allowed to review fees for students already admitted. “The understanding we had with the President when formulating the new formula was that fees for each course would remain throughout their course period, thus universities should not review while the student is midway through their university,” he said.

But samples of admission letters reveal that some universities have defied the regulations.

A Bachelor Education (Arts) letter from the Kisii University seen by The Standard indicates that the new students will only receive government funding for two academic years.

“The government will categorise you (student) into the various student categories – vulnerable, extremely needy, Needy, Less Needy/Able. Failure to apply for the support, the university expects you to cater for your full fees. This offer is valid for only two academic years,” reads the letter.

It further indicates that the fees could be reviewed.

“Please note that the university fees are determined by the University Council and approved by the Universities Funding Board (UFB). The council may revise the fees structure at any time it deems necessary.”

Another admission letter for Bachelor of Education in Special Needs from Rongo University also cautions that the institution could revise the fees when necessary.

This contradicts Monari’s word that the government would fund programmes for the entire period. “This can be four or five or six years depending on the length of the programme,” he said.

He promised to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Education on the matter.

Students hoping to realise their dreams must also clear their fees to be admitted, according to Moi University admission letter. “No student shall be admitted in the university without paying fees,” it says.

On Wednesday, the Leader of the Minority at the National Assembly Opiyo Wandayi expressed reservations over the new funding formula.

“The Kenya Kwanza government announced a new funding model that has created confusion and dashed hopes for thousands of youth who sat KCSE exams in 2022,” said Wandayi.

Data released by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service reveals 870,561 candidates were eligible for universities and colleges places, but only 285,698 submitted applications.

Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu, while releasing the admission results, revealed that 23,000 students snubbed the placement exercise despite scoring the entry mark of C+  and above.

At the same time, 136,592 students, representing 63.94 per cent, who qualified for diploma courses did not apply, while 249,149 who qualified for certificate courses also shunned the admission exercise.

The Opposition now wants the government to reopen the admission portal to give a chance to the learners who did not apply.

Wandayi claimed the cost of application, at Sh1,500, and a lack of information led to the big number of students missing out.

He also decried some of the fees charged, adding that the government had added more burden to parents. “Kenyans have further noted with shock and dismay the hefty fees and bloated fees structures from Kenyan public universities. That it will cost a Kenyan household through a government-sponsored Bachelor of Pharmacy programme in Maseno University Sh428,000 and Sh336,000 in JKUAT for an engineering course a year is outrageous,” he said.

“The purported new funding model has fraudulently shifted the burden of funding college studies from the government and placed it squarely on the shoulders of parents and learners through expensive loans.”

Under the new funding formula, 95,000 students who sat last year’s Form Four examination will mostly depend on student loans to finance their university education.

The method has classified students in four categories which will influence how much money they get in terms of government scholarships and loans, and the amount their parent will pay directly.

The four categories are vulnerable, extremely needy, needy and less needy. Learners categorised as vulnerable and extremely needy will be the biggest winners of the new formula as they will not be charged any direct fees. Instead, their fees will be drawn from their loans and government scholarship.

According to Machogu, only 45,000 students fall under this category.

But the Opposition read mischief, noting that the new classification had placed very few in the category. In the former model, all students with a C+ and above got some funding from the government, with some financing the balance through the Higher Education Loans Board.

“The new classification leaves the majority to struggle with huge student loans and parental burden. Needless to say that many children will drop out of university,” the statement said.

Students are required to apply through the Higher Education Financing portal at www.hef.co.ke.