CS Machogu unveils new portal for University and TVET students to get scholarships, loans

Speaking during the release of the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) selection results, Machogu stated that the Higher Education Financing (HEF) Portal will now allow students to make applications for both scholarships, loans and bursaries.

In the new funding model, announced by President William Ruto, the government will now seek to channel higher education assistance directly to individual students based on carefully curated criteria.

The level of funding for each student will depend on the monthly household income and each student will individually apply for the scholarship and loans, soon after receiving admission letters.

Those seeking financial aid from the government have been classified into four categories, the vulnerable, extremely needy, needy and less needy.

Under the model, those students falling under the vulnerable and extremely needy band will qualify for 100%  government funding for their studies with the money coming as scholarships and loans, and those deemed to be needy and less needy will get 93% government funding, with the students bearing 7% of the tuition costs.

They will also have opportunities to apply for HELB (Government loan) which will be allocated upon using a full-proof tool used to assess students to be awarded scholarships.

It is also worth noting that students in private universities are not eligible for the government scholarship fund, but can apply for loans through HELB. 

Out of the 2022 KCSE cohort, over 45,000 university students and 42,000 TVET students categorised as vulnerable and extremely needy, will be fully funded with Government Scholarships and Loans.

Students who require funding must make a formal application through the portal accessible on www.hef.co.ke.

However, continuing students will not be affected by the funding model and will continue to receive their funding based on the previous funding model.

Of the 870,561 candidates who were eligible for placements in universities and colleges, Machogu said that only 285,698 submitted applications for placements through the KUCCPS portal.

Out of the applicants, 285,167 managed to secure places in degree, diploma, and arts courses in 282 training institutions. 

"140,107 were placed in university programmes as 130,484 were placed in public universities and 9,622 to private universities," he said.

"144,500 were placed in TVETs and 560 in secondary teacher training colleges. 9,673 who qualified for degree courses opted to be placed in TVET institutions."

Those placed will then apply for government funding before the fund's disbursement in September and at the beginning of the first year of study.