Ruto to address town hall meeting Sunday evening over varsity funding model

President William Ruto will, on Sunday evening, engage in a town hall meeting to discuss issues related to the university education funding model.

State House spokesperson Hussein Mohammed in a statement on Sunday afternoon said the Head of State will engage with Kenyans at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre from 7 pm.

"President William Ruto will host a town hall tonight, engaging university students on the Higher Education Funding Model," he said.

President Ruto unveiled the new university and TVET funding model on May 3, 2023.

The funding model places students in five bands using eight variables, including parents' background, gender, course type, marginalization, disability, family size, and composition.

The President said it was aimed at primarily benefiting students from extremely poor backgrounds.

Under the new university education funding model, learners from needy families have been put in Band 1 and accorded higher loans and scholarships compared to those in Band 5.

The learner in Band 1 is entitled to 95 per cent government support in terms of scholarships (70 per cent) and loans (25 per cent) plus Sh60,000 upkeep loan.

Parents will contribute only 5 per cent to the cost of the education.

Comparatively, a learner in Band 5 will receive 60 per cent government support for whatever course they will be studying comprising 30 per cent scholarship, 30 per cent loan plus an upkeep loan of Sh40,000.

The family will foot 40 per cent of the total cost of their education.

Those joining TVETs will receive government scholarships of up to 50 per cent and 30 per cent in loans. Their households will pay 20 per cent of the costs.

funding

However, concerns have been raised as Kenyans poked holes in the new university funding model with fears that it could affect many Kenyans and cause them not to access higher education.

The National Assembly, led by Speaker Moses Wetang'ula, is pushing for the consolidation of various bursary schemes to achieve what they believe could be free college and university education in Kenya.

MPs argue that merging these schemes could provide sufficient funds to make higher education free across the country.

They voiced their opinions during a Kamkunji, held to discuss the new university funding model.

The debate comes amid complaints that some students have been placed in incorrect funding bands, jeopardising their chances of pursuing higher education.

Beatrice Inyangala, Principal Secretary of the State Department for Higher Education and Research, admitted that some universities made mistakes when conveying banding results to students.

However, she reassured students that they have the option to appeal these decisions.

"Students should verify the loan and scholarship awards on the Higher Education Fund portal through www.hef.co.ke," she said, adding that there are desks at universities where learners with complaints will be able to have wrong placement rectified.

As a result, Speaker Wetang'ula directed the PS to take to the House a policy proposal to inform a new law that would ensure all the schemes are collapsed to provide free university education.