There has been some controversy with the new Kenyan government’s higher education funding model with some stake holders opposing it and others defending its benefits. Dr. Beatrice Inyangala who is the sitting Principal Secretary in the State Department for Higher Education, has been categorical on supporting the model which she says its meant to address different economic backgrounds of students.
In her speech which was read by Secretary Administration Fredrick Ndambuki during a workshop in Naivasha, Dr Inyangala expressed her support for the new funding model for public universities and TVETs that was introduced in the 2023/2024 financial year.
According to Dr. Inyangala, the new funding model aims to shift the focus of funding from institutions to students, in the sense that the model will look at and try to the diverse economic backgrounds of students, ensuring financial support reaches those in need. The new model is very different from what we used to have, which predominantly benefited educational institutions rather than individual students.
In her address that was delivered during the workshop, Dr. Inyangala shared some of the impressive gains that are as a result of the new funding model indicating how the government has since verified and allocated a substantial financial support to students in higher education institutions:
- For university students, 110,223 applications were verified, resulting in the allocation of Ksh11.74 billion in scholarships and Ksh12.47 billion in loans, totaling Ksh24.21 billion.
- For TVET trainees, 104,878 applications have been verified, leading to Ksh3.90 billion in scholarships and Ksh3.87 billion in loans, totaling Ksh7.77 billion.
Moreover, Dr. Inyangala mentioned that Ksh13.53 billion in loans had been disbursed to universities and TVETs for student upkeep and tuition, along with Ksh5.29 billion in scholarships for the first semester’s tuition fees distributed among 39 public universities. The workshop is continuing to assess the first round of New Funding Model, making sure it works efficiently as well as addressing any concerns.