• President William Ruto said the government will adopt the funding model effective this academic year.
• He said funding will be disbursed based on four levels of need; vulnerable, extremely needy, needy and less needy through government scholarships, loans and bursaries.
Image: FILE
The government on Wednesday announced a new funding model for university students and their counterparts in TVET institutions to ensure they all have equal opportunities to pursue higher education.
President William Ruto said the government will effective this academic year adopt the funding model where capitation will be apportioned to students based on their level of need.
"Universities and TVETS will no longer receive block funding in the form of capitation based on a Differentiated Unit Cost," Ruto said.
He said the funding will be disbursed based on four levels of need; vulnerable, extremely needy, needy and less needy through government scholarships, loans and bursaries.
"Students from needy households joining universities will receive government scholarships of up to 53 per cent and loans of up to 40 per cent," Ruto said.
Parents will only pay 7 per cent of the total cost of their university education.
Those joining TVETs will receive government scholarships of up to 50 per cent and 30 per cent in loans. Their households will pay 20 per cent of the costs, he added.
He said the less needy students will receive a maximum of 38 per cent in government scholarships and 55 per cent in loans. Parents will pay 7 per cent of the cost.
Those joining TVETS will receive 32 per cent in scholarships and 48 per cent in loans while parents will pay 20 per cent.
Breakdown of cost of Degree for needy students per year
Under the new funding model, Medicine remains the most expensive at Sh720,000 per annum.
The government will foot 53 per cent of the cost (Sh381,600) while students will receive Sh288,000 from Helb.
This means students will only pay Sh50,400 per academic year to study medicine, an equivalent of seven per cent of the total cost.
Those pursuing dentistry will pay a similar amount.
Pre-clinical medicine and pre-clinical dentistry students will pay Sh25,000 per year out of the total cost of Sh360,000.
The government will foot Sh190,800 while Helb will disburse 144,000.
Students pursuing Veterinary Medicine will pay Sh39,480 per academic year out of the total cost of Sh564,000.
Helb will cater for Sh225,600 while the government will give Sh298,920 in capitation.
Pre-clinical course in veterinary medicine will cost students Sh22,680, Helb will cover Sh129,600 while the government will give Sh171,720.
Pharmacy students will pay Sh35,280, Helb Sh201,600 while the government will pay Sh267,120.
Preclinical pharmacy course will see needy students pay Sh324,000 where the government will pay Sh171,720 of the cost while Helb will foot Sh129,600. Parents will pay only Sh22,680.
Engineering and Survey degree programmes will cost Sh396,000 per year where the government will pay Sh209,880, Helb will disburse Sh158,400 and students will pay only Sh27,720.
Those that will undertake Built Environment and Design will pay Sh25,000 per year out of the total cost of Sh360,000.
The government will pay 190,800 while Helb will cover Sh144,000.
Architectural Studies (Part 1) will cost Sh360,000. The government will pay Sh190,800, Helb Sh144,000 while students will pay Sh25,000.
Part 2 of the degree course will cost students Sh30,240 per year.
The government will pay Sh228,960 of the total cost of Sh432,000. Helb will cater for Sh172,800.
Needy students pursuing Education (Arts), Business, Law and Economics will pay nothing for their courses whose annual cost is Sh216,000.
The government will foot Sh114,480 of the cost while Helb will pay Sh86,400.
The annual cost of Applied Humanities and Social Sciences stands at Sh180,000. The government will pay Sh95,400, Helb Sh72,00 and students Sh15,120.
A Bachelors of Arts degree in Basic Humanities and Social Sciences will cost Sh144,000 per year. Students will pay only Sh10,080, government Sh76,320 while Helb will foot Sh57,600 of the cost.
Needy students pursuing a degree in Basic Sciences (Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Geography) will pay nothing.
The government will cater for Sh139,920 of the total cost of Sh264,000 while Helb will pay Sh105,600.
However, needy learners undertaking Bachelors Degree in Applied Social Sciences and Arts will pay 18,480 per year.
Out of the total cost of Sh240,000, the government will meet Sh127,200 of the cost while Helb will pay Sh96,000.
Needy students pursuing Agriculture, Health Sciences, Food Science and related degree courses will pay only Sh22,680 per annum.
The entire course will cost Sh324,000 where the government will foot Sh171,720 of the cost while Helb will cater for Sh129,600.