Beginning September 2024, more than 153,292 students stand to miss admission to universities if the Treasury does not increase the budget for HELB and the Universities Fund, which are facing underfunding.
Their future now hangs in the balance after the allocation to HELB was reduced by Sh710 million from what was allocated in the previous year, while Sh2.6 billion was slashed from the Universities Fund in the 2024/2025 financial year for students placed through KUCCPS.
Revised estimates indicate that HELB’s allocation decreased from Sh31.89 billion to Sh31.18 billion, that of University Funding revised downwards from Sh19.55 billion to Sh16.921 billion, with the funding only catering for second to sixth-year students.
State Department of Higher Learning explained that 153,292 first-year students who completed their KCSE examinations in 2023 and were placed by KUCCPS are not adequately provided for and are set to join university in September 2024.
Committee’s Concerns and Discussions
Higher Learning PS Beatrice Inyangala, in an address to the National Assembly Education Committee, said that the continued underfunding has led to a deficit of Sh22.9 billion, where Sh13.7 billion is under HELB and Sh9.1 billion is under the Universities Fund.
The funding deficit risks loan cuts to students and scholarships countrywide. The Committee, led by Juluis Melly, questioned the rationale used by the National Treasury in making the budget cuts.
Parliamentarians’ Reactions
it was just a case of balancing the budget. Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera said there was no need to further cut in core areas, citing underfunding problems between students.
Mandera South MP Haro Abdul felt it was a discouragement that graduates would miss admission based on underfunding, fearing that current students might drop out.
According to Nyamira Woman Representative Jerusha Momanyi, the crisis would only be contained if adequate funding was done in some key areas. Narok MP Tonkei Rebbeca complained about reduced funding to universities.
Final Thoughts
The officials of the National Treasury admitted to have made the cuts without consulting the State Department but expressed hope for future consultations to rationalize the budget.
Chairperson Melly called for both parties to consult in a manner that will ensure the Higher Education Department is well funded in some of these crucial sectors. He added that much pressure should be applied to the Budget Committee over the same, and suggested the Treasury should have worked with the State Department to reduce funding in non-critical areas as opposed to cutting it from very vital ones.