Ruto Gazettes Committee to Review New University Funding Model.
President William Ruto has officially established a committee to assess the new university funding model, which has generated significant debate among students, parents, and education professionals. This announcement was made in a Kenya Gazette notice on Monday.
The committee will be organized into four sub-committees:
- Review and Refinement: This sub-committee will focus on evaluating and refining the new funding model for universities and technical, vocational education, and training institutions (TVETs).
- Appeals: This team will address appeals related to the categorization of students into different eligibility bands.
- Student Loan Structure: The third sub-committee will examine the structure of student loans.
- Academic Programme Costs: The fourth sub-committee will review the costs associated with university academic programmes.
Leadership and Structure
The coordination board for the committee will be composed of the chairpersons and co-chairpersons of the four sub-committees, including Japheth Micheni Ntiba as the chairperson. The board will also include lead joint secretaries from each workstream.
- First Sub-Committee: Led by Karuti Kanyinga with Dibora Zainab Hirbo as co-chair, consisting of 30 members.
- Second Sub-Committee: Chaired by Walubengo Waningilo with Lucy Machugu as co-chair, comprising 25 members.
- Third Sub-Committee: Robert Oduor Otieno will chair, with Aron Kiprotich Bett as co-chair, including 18 members.
- Fourth Sub-Committee: Mohamed S. Rajab will chair this group, with Patrick Malanga as co-chair, involving 31 members.
Each sub-committee will have two joint secretaries and a two-member secretariat. The National Committee will operate for eight weeks from the date of the notice, with the possibility of extension.
Controversies and Student Reactions
The new funding model has faced backlash, with students threatening to strike, claiming that it disadvantages them and may prevent many from pursuing higher education. The revised model separates student placement from funding, necessitating separate applications for loans and scholarships through the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) and Universities Fund (UF).
Funding now includes a combination of scholarships, loans, and household contributions, determined through a means-testing instrument that categorizes students into five bands. President Ruto has defended the model, stating that students could receive between Ksh.40,000 and Ksh.60,000 for upkeep based on their financial needs.
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For example, the neediest students, placed in band one, will receive a 70% scholarship, a 25% loan, a 5% household contribution, and Ksh.60,000 for upkeep. However, there have been concerns about students being misclassified into incorrect bands and criticisms regarding the means-testing instrument’s effectiveness.
Additionally, the model stipulates that only students placed in public universities by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) are eligible for scholarships and loans, while those attending private institutions are only eligible for HELB loans.
Ruto Gazettes Committee to Review New University Funding Model.
