Bursaries to delay as students join Form 1 Wednesday

Needy and vulnerable students set to benefit from Elimu scholarship will have to wait longer after officials said the bursary scheme will delay for days.

Form 1 enrolment will start on Wednesday, but learners are yet to benefit from the scholarships.

Parents whose hopes were pegged to the scholarships will now have to look for alternative means of raising money.

The Elimu scholarship has benefited 18,000 students and 9,000 more will benefit this year.

Education CS George Magoha said 4,000 slots will be reserved for students in the slums.

"The aim is to enable learners to break the ceiling and liberate their families from dehumanising urban poverty," he said.

Orphans and students with special needs who attained below 280 marks might be considered.

The scholarship caters to transportation to and from school, school fees, school kit and pocket money for four years.

Magoha warned school heads against compelling parents to pay full school fees.

But schools are still asking parents to pay first term school fees before receiving their calling letters.

"School fees payment must be made before admission, either in banker's cheque or deposited in the school account," an admission letter reads.

Equity Group will sponsor 2,000 Wings to Fly scholars for 2022-23 Form 1 selection cycle at a cost of Sh2 billion for their entire secondary school education.

This year’s Wings to Fly Scholarship application and selection process will benefit 1,000 students.

The government has released Sh2 billion for free primary education and another Sh16.9 billion for free day secondary education.

This being the fifth cohort of 100 per cent transition to secondary school, Magoha said he will conduct a mop-up of students just like last year.

Last year, the CS went around slums picking students who had missed out on admission due to lack of finances.