New Statement on the Funding Model for Universities from MoE CS
Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Education, Ezekiel Mochogu, visited Kisii University on October 7 and gave an impassioned defense of the country’s new university funding arrangement. According to him, this methodology is the best way to help Kenyan students, especially those from low-income families, overcome the obstacles they face.
Education Cabinet Secretary Dr. Machogu stressed the need for a means test that can reliably identify kids from low-income families and provide them with the resources they need to succeed. Machogu argues that this method will allow for significant fee reductions for students from economically disadvantaged families by classifying them into distinct categories based on their level of need.
He said that the Differentiated Unit Cost (DUC) approach used in the previous funding scheme was “flawed and unworkable.”
Machogu admitted that the initial D.U.C model was flawed because the government was intended to contribute 80% of the funds. In order to better assist students from disadvantaged families in Kenya, the Ministry of Education implemented a new method and formula.
Under the new system, pupils are classified into “PARTS,” with designations based on their family’s socioeconomic status. Under this approach, a student taking a course that normally costs Ksh 200,000 would pay only Ksh 10,000 per semester. To guarantee that students from all socioeconomic backgrounds are able to afford a high-quality education, a “means testing instrument” is employed to determine the extent of their needs.
Machogu also indicated that students would be eligible for scholarships and loans, with the expectation that they would pay them back after finding gainful employment. Starting with the class of 2022 KCSE takers, the government intends to admit students based on particular criteria, including the student’s financial need.
People who apply for government aid are ranked according to how dire their circumstances are: vulnerable, severely needy, needy, and less needy. The Kenyan government has come under fire from those who have a vested interest in the country’s educational system because they say it is pushing the cost of higher education onto students and their families through high-interest loans.
There have also been demonstrations against the rapid increase and substantial inequality in university tuition costs; for instance, the government-funded engineering program at JKUAT has a yearly tuition of Ksh 336,000.
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