University students will be required to apply for loans and scholarships every year, University Funds CEO Geoffery Monari has announced.
In a meeting with the National Assembly Education Committee on Thursday, Monari said the move will enable them to know which students are eligible for university.
He added that it will also enable them to plan for their budget responsibly as some of them might have changed their course later.
“All the students will be required to apply every year. This is very important because you find there are students who passed away or changed status during their courses. So it is important for us to know if these students are still in the universities,” Monari said.
"And most importantly has their status changed while they were in the university? You might find a parent has passed and we need to review the different classes in which we are giving them the scholarship and loans."
Students without National Identity Cards will be required to apply for scholarships and loans with a KCSE index number and birth certificate.
Education CS Ezekiel Machogu said the provision of the loan is a contractual arrangement between the Higher Education Loans Board and the student.
"Since the law does not allow contracts with minors, the loans for those without Identity Cards will not be disbursed until the Identity Cards are provided," Machogu said.
He said once the student is categorized under the New Funding Model, the scholarship will be awarded and sent to the University or College.
Meanwhile, the HELB Loan will be set aside to finance them as soon as they submit their National ID.
"Universities and Colleges have been advised accordingly on the arrangement and are expected to admit the students," Machogu said.
HELB CEO Charles Ringera said next week, students will know how they have been categorised in order to know how much fees they will be paying.
