A new funding model that was introduced by the government of Kenya, has expressed a lot of concern from first-year students and their families. More than 12,000 students, out of 127,591 students, have appealed their funding band classification. Quite a number of students, especially those at Band 5, consisting of families earning more than KSh 120,000 per month, feel they are miscoded, and if this model is followed, then their chances of accessing scholarships and loans are very slim.
Understanding the Funding Bands: The new funding model the government has come up with categorizes students based on their family’s financial situation into five bands, namely:
- Band One: Very needy and vulnerable, whose scholarship will cover 70%, 25% loan, and 5% of the fees to be paid by the household.
- Band Two: Needy students from low-income earning families, whose 60% of the fees will be paid in scholarship form, 30% in loans, and 10% from the household.
- Band Three: Low-income families, receiving 50% scholarships and 30% loans, with 10% of fees paid by households.
- Bands Four and Five: Middle and high-income earners receive 40% scholarships and 30% loans, and the remaining amount from the fees is covered by the households.
Reasons for Misclassification: Many students who attended private and national schools found themselves in Band 5, yet they know they did not belong there. The Ministry of Education says wrong data in application forms, hurriedly sent or aided by cybercafé operators, could be the case.
The Appeal Process: If you feel you are in the wrong funding band, here’s how to appeal:
- Start the Appeal on the Higher Education Funding Website: Log in and select from the drop-down options the reason for appeal. Some of these may include the death of parents, unemployment of parents, many siblings in school, or being sponsored during primary or secondary education.
- Provide Supporting Documents: You will be required to upload evidence supporting your appeal. This may include:
- Death certificates
- Letters from local administration or children’s offices
- Proof of scholarships
- Admission numbers of siblings currently in school
- Await Re-categorisation: Ministry of Education will go through your appeal in three weeks from the submission date. After that, the decision will be determined by how accurate the information provided is and the local officer verification.
- Deadline of Appeals: The portal of the appeals will remain open up to 31st December 2024, for late submissions.
Final Thoughts: Though the new funding model is said to provide more equitable allocation, the approach it uses has received much criticism due to being somewhat discriminatory in nature. It is strongly recommended that students carefully review the application data and ensure the proper corrections through the appeals process.