University Students To Pay Fees As Funding Model Is Changed.
University Students To Pay Fees As Funding Model Is Changed. Parents of college and university students will now have to pay fees because the government changed the funding mechanism that was implemented few months ago.
The original plan was changed with the intention of relieving parents who could not pay the costs of higher education.A portion of the fees will now be shared by all households.
Previously composed of four student groups (vulnerable, severely needy, needy, and less needy), the revised financing model now includes five, which it has dubbed “bands.”
Students in these bands will receive, under this amended system, between Sh40,000 and Sh60,000, based on the financial stability of their families.
However, there has been a significant shift from the initial plan, where ‘vulnerable and extremely needy’ students were exempted from any household costs, and the government was to cover all expenses.
The ‘needy and less needy’ were supposed to contribute seven percent towards university education, alongside scholarships and loans.
This means that the ‘vulnerable’ students were to receive 82 percent in scholarships and 18 percent in loans with no contribution from households.
The ‘extremely needy’ were to receive 70 percent in scholarships and 30 percent in loans without out-of-pocket expenses.
The ‘needy’ were to receive government scholarships of up to 53 percent and loans of up to 40 percent, with their households covering seven percent of the costs.
‘Less needy’ students would receive government scholarships of up to 38 percent, loans of up to 55 percent, and households would pay seven percent.
University Students To Pay Fees As Funding Model Is Changed
Under the revised system, students in band one (previously ‘vulnerable’) will get 70 percent scholarships and 25 percent for loans.
Parents in these households will now pay five percent of the fees cost. Additionally, students will receive Sh60,000 for their upkeep.
In band two (previously ‘extremely needy’), students will receive 60 percent scholarships and 30 percent loans.
Parents will contribute 10 percent of the costs, and the government will allocate Sh55,000 to each student for their upkeep.
Band three (previously ‘needy’) students will receive 50 percent scholarships and 30 percent loans, with parents covering 20 percent of the costs. Students in this group will receive Sh50,000 for upkeep.
The newly introduced band five will receive scholarships of 30 percent and another 30 percent for loans,
with households paying 40 percent of the costs. Students in this group will receive Sh40,000 for upkeep.
The adjustments were made amid concerns about the sustainability of the initial funding formula.
The government official suggested that the original plan might be too costly in the long run.
The Ministry of Education has been working to resolve this funding stalemate.
Despite this, there has been concern over the financial crisis faced by public universities and colleges due to delayed funding by the government.
The State is yet to disburse funds allocated to universities, leading to financial challenges in these institutions.
Vice-Chancellors have been managing the crisis, using funds meant for continuing students to support the budgets for new students.
About 220,000 students have already had their eligibility for loans and scholarships verified and classified by Helb and the Universities Fund (UF).
The money will not be released until their individual boards have given their permission.When will colleges and universities in the end receive the funds is unknown.These institutions are now experiencing financial challenges as a result of the funding delay.
In summary, the government’s modification of the higher education funding formula has made parents obligated to pay for their children’s education. This has an effect on a number of student categories and has raised questions about the plan’s viability.
Delays in funding are causing financial difficulties for public colleges and universities as well.
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