Dropping out of or failing to get admission to university due to lack of school fees could be a thing of the past if the government were to proceed with its plan to fully fund university education for every learner.
The average cost of between KSh 200,000 to KSh 1.5 million for a four year university cost has for a long term dealt a fatal blow to ambitions of young Kenyans to get higher education.
However, President William Ruto now says the government will shoulder the cost of higher education for all students admitted to public institutions.
“Going forward, any student, so long as they have passed their examinations and they have been placed in a college or university, will get full funding for their higher education. It will be the choice for parents if they want to pay,” Ruto said.
Under the new directive, every student who passes national examinations and secures placement in a university or college will be fully supported by the government, regardless of their financial background.
The government has allocated 40.4 billion shillings for tertiary scholarships and 56.3 billion shillings for HELB loans, a massive investment President Ruto states will permanently secure institutional stability and eliminate student debt.
The head of state has said free university education is a key pillar to transforming the country to a First World nation.
“Countries that are ahead of us had high-quality education. Education was a central pillar. My team tells me that education makes us equal and has no equal. That is where we are taking this,” he said.
The announcement is a shift from the current funding model, which allocates financial support based on students’ levels of need under the Variable Scholarship and Loan Funding Model.
