President William Ruto recently held a town hall meeting to address the uproar surrounding the new university funding model in Kenya.
This model, which has sparked widespread debate, shifts the approach from direct funding of institutions to a student-centered method.
The new funding structure focuses on categorizing students based on their financial needs, offering a combination of scholarships, loans, and household contributions.
During the meeting, President Ruto emphasized that the previous model led to underfunding and massive debts for universities, which have been struggling financially.
The government’s solution is to classify students into three categories: vulnerable, less vulnerable, and able.
Vulnerable students will receive full government support, while those deemed less vulnerable and able will receive varying proportions of scholarships and loans depending on their financial capacity.
Universities will no longer receive block grants; instead, funds will be allocated directly to students according to their needs.
The town hall saw mixed reactions from participants, with some expressing concerns that the new model might burden students with more loans, especially those from middle-income families.
Ruto, however, assured that no student would be left behind and that the model would provide equitable access to higher education.
The model is set to take effect in the 2023/2024 academic year, impacting over 300,000 students joining universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions.
This funding approach aims to motivate universities to improve the quality of education and raise additional resources by attracting more students.
The ongoing debate reflects the complex challenges of balancing educational access with financial sustainability in Kenya’s higher education sector.
Watch
