Ruto gazettes committee to review controversial university funding model
President William Ruto has gazetted a
committee to review the new university funding model which has been the subject
of controversy among students, parents, and education stakeholders.
Ruto announced the establishment of the National Working
Committee on Review of the New University Education Funding Model in a Kenya Gazette notice on Monday.
The committee shall
comprise four sub-committees; one to handle the review and refinement of the new
funding model for universities and technical, vocational education and training
institutions (TVETs) and another to deal with appeals arising from the categorisation
of students into various eligibility bands.
The third sub-committee will review the structure of student loans while the fourth will review the cost of university academic programmes.
“The chairpersons and co-chairpersons
of the workstreams (sub-committees) shall constitute the coordination Board of
the Committee for the New University Education Funding Model, as follows: Japheth
Micheni Ntiba – chairperson; members: chairpersons and co-Chairpersons of the
four workstreams; joint secretaries: lead joint secretaries from the four
workstreams,” said President Ruto.
The first
sub-committee will be chaired by Karuti Kanyinga, with Dibora Zainab Hirbo as co-chair
and it has 30 members; the second 25-member team will be chaired by Walubengo
Waningilo and have Lucy Machugu as the co-chair.
Meanwhile, Robert
Oduor Otieno and Aron Kiprotich Bett have been appointed as chair and co-chair
respectively of the sub-committee handling structure of student loans, which
has 18 members, while the fourth workstream will be chaired by Mohamed S. Rajab
and Patrick Malanga as co-chair. It has 31 members.
Each sub-committee has
two joint secretaries and a two-member secretariat.
“The National
Committee will serve for a period of eight weeks with effect from the date
hereof, or for such longer period as may be specified by notice in the Gazette,”
added Ruto.
University students threatened to strike over the new funding model, terming it disadvantageous and likely to
lock many out from acquiring higher education.
The new model delinks
student placement with funding, thus requiring students to submit applications
to the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) and Universities Fund (UF) for loans
and scholarships, respectively.
Funding of students
now combines scholarships, loans and household contributions on a graduated
scale 'scientifically determined' by a so-called means-testing instrument. The
method assesses eligible students into five bands.
President Ruto has
been drumming up support for the model saying that eligible students will get
between Ksh.40,000 and Ksh.60,000 in upkeep based on their financial needs.
For instance, the neediest students will be placed in band one to access a 70 per cent scholarship, 25 per cent loan, 5 per cent household contribution and Ksh.60,000 for upkeep.
Additionally, the new model demands that only those placed in public universities by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) are eligible for scholarships and loans, while those in private entities only qualify for HELB loans.
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