Government committed to make higher education more affordable

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The Government has reiterated its commitment in making higher education accessible and more affordable to all deserving Kenyans under the new proposed universal funding framework.

Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Julius Ogamba said the Government has continued refining the university funding model so that it responds more thoughtfully to the diverse circumstances of students joining universities and TVET institutions.

Speaking on Friday during the 11th graduation of the University of Embu, CS Ogamba said the Government’s goal was clear in opening doors of opportunity equitably to ensure talent is never wasted for lack of means.

He said it was in light of this that the Government had come up with a new funding framework dubbed Universal Student Funding Model that focuses on investing directly in the student’s future professional capacity.

Through this development, CS Ogamba said they were moving away from the controversial Student-Centered Funding Model (SCFM) introduced in 2023 whose financing model was based on Mean Testing Instrument (MTI) that financed students’ education based on their parents’ financial status.

He noted that for a long time, the government has had a challenge in the way it has been financing higher education from the days of Differentiated Unit Cost (DUC) that was faced out in 2023 following the introduction of SCFM.

He noted that these two models left universities drowning in huge debts as a result of government systematic failure to fulfil its funding obligations that led to many institutions rendered technically insolvent.

The CS noted that the current model was testing parents instead of students essentially locking out deserving students whenever the formula miscalculated their parents’ wealth.

“We have changed that thinking by now focusing on the future of the students by funding their professional careers instead of parents’ current financial ability,” he said, noting under the current model, many students were forced to drop careers of their choice and take the ones their parents are able to finance.

He noted that under the proposed model, the government was transforming university education from a household expense into a state-backed investment in human capital.

Manyatta MP Gitonga Mukunji threw his weight behind the proposed model, praising its proposal to lift the financial burden from vulnerable Kenyan families by ensuring those who cannot afford higher education fees are fully covered.

The University Vice Chancellor Prof. Daniel Mugendi said the institution has experienced rapid growth; from a small constituent college into one of Kenya’s top-performing public universities.

He added that the student population has also been growing over the years and they are about to register the largest intake ever of close to 4, 900 students in the coming enrollment next week that will push the university student population to over 18, 000.

During the graduation 2,367 students were conferred various degrees and diplomas.

By Samuel Waititu

Reporting originally appeared via Kenya News Agency. Read the full source for additional context.