University Students Threaten Nationwide Strike Over New funding model.
Student leaders from universities across the nation, including private ones, are calling for the revision or elimination of the current university funding model to prevent the suspension of instruction at all universities.
Students are also pushing for a reduction in the interest rate on higher education loans from 4% to 2%.
This comes a day after students at the University of Nairobi demonstrated against the new university funding arrangement.
If not completely canceled, the students want the model modified, notably by removing the last two bands, which they believe are punishing.
“We wouldn’t have gotten this far without the new funding model,” said Kabarak University student leader Evans Serem.
Students are challenging the Means Testing Instrument (MTI), which classifies students into various funding groups, on the grounds that it contains numerous data errors and inadequate grading criteria.
“Comrades were not involved in developing this new model… “We must remind them that it is time to invite us to the committee table,” KU student leader Boniface Ododa stated.
In June, President William Ruto promised to convene a broad-based committee to discuss outstanding issues with his government’s new university finance model.
Students have pledged to stage nationwide university student protests against the model on September 9, 2024, if these demands go unmet.
Pressure on Household Finances
As Kenya’s tertiary education system undergoes a seismic transition, students and parents are concerned about the accessibility of higher education.
The implementation of a new funding scheme this year has aroused varying views, with the majority accusing it of excluding intelligent students from families with low incomes.
Last year, a WorldRemit poll found that Kenyan households spend more than ten times their monthly income on school supplies, with the average cost per child being Sh57,921.
While education costs are rising, people’ incomes are declining due to high taxes and the general high cost of doing business, resulting in job losses.
Nonetheless, the government and those promoting the new funding model have portrayed it as virtuous and significantly less expensive than before.
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Earlier this month, Education PS Beatrice Inyangala stated in a live TV interview that the concept aims to increase access to education.
“Education has never been more affordable,” she said, noting that needy households just need to spend Sh6,000 per year.
Bands based on their financial needs.
The approach divides students into five bands based on their financial needs.
Under the first band, the government scholarship covers 70% of the costs, while the loan covers 25%, resulting in a total support of 95%.
The family will cover 5% of the expenses, and the student will receive a Helb maintenance loan worth Sh60,000.
Band two includes students whose families’ monthly income does not exceed Sh23,670 but is greater than Sh5,995. In this category, the government scholarship will cover 60%, with the loan covering 30%.
The family will cover 10% of the expenses, with the pupils receiving an upkeep loan of Sh55,000.
Band three is for people from families that earn up to Sh70,000. The state will cover 50%, whereas the loan will cover 30%.
The family will contribute 20% of the fees, and students will receive a Sh50,000 upkeep loan.
Those in bands four and five will receive 40 and 30 percent state support, depending on their ability. They include families with a monthly income of Sh120,000 or more.
The government scholarship will cover 40%, with the loan covering 30%.
While a small number of students may benefit from the new model, the majority will not, and they are complaining about the difficulties of the new funding system.
Kenyatta, Moi, and JKUAT universities charge aspiring doctors Sh612,635 in program fees.
Education expenditures at lower levels
A large number of parents with university-bound students are also dealing with education expenditures at lower levels, namely secondary and primary, with a scarcity of decent public primary schools, for example, compelling parents to choose expensive private institutions.
This is particularly true in cities and major towns, when parents struggle to find spaces in public schools.
Lower cadres of private elementary schools charge tuition fees ranging from Sh15,000 to Sh30,000 per term, while public schools heavily subsidize costs, lessening the strain on parents.
Middle cadre schools charge between Sh30,000 and Sh100,000, whereas upper-level schools charge Sh100,000 or more.
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According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, year-on-year inflation for education services, which follows a usual seasonal trend, was 2.8% in January, making education in Kenya the most costly in the area.
According to World Remit’s survey, the overall average cost per child in Kenya is Sh57,921, which is more than Uganda’s Sh22,962 and Tanzania’s Sh19,479.
University Students Threaten Nationwide Strike Over New funding model.
