President William Ruto has defended the new funding model that rolled out in the university education subsector on May 3, 2023. It proposes loans and scholarship opportunities so as to make higher education accessible to vulnerable learners.
Addressing a town hall engagement in Mombasa on July 28, 2024, Ruto noted that universities are facing financial struggles—indebted to the tune of Sh60 billion and lecturers being paid half salaries—hence the need for the new model that would get them out of such issues and improve quality in education.
The old funding model that guaranteed 80 per cent loans to all students became unsustainable due to the high population. “While we had committed to pay 80%, we ended up paying 50%, in some cases 45%, leading to a huge funding gap,” explained Ruto. The situation has compromised the quality of education.
The new model finances in terms of needs; this means, less privileged students are going to have more funds assigned to them. There is an instrument called the Means Testing Instrument that will evaluate learners, making up to 95% funding for the most vulnerable and 60% for those who come from rich families. This approach makes sure there is a fair distribution of resources.
He said that the new model requires students to make applications, hence saving money due to some opt-outs by affluent families. “Twenty percent of students last year did not apply for scholarship because their parents could afford to pay,” he said. This allows more funds to support needy students.
The enhanced budget of universities from Sh45 billion to Sh82 billion is an affirmation of the government’s commitment to education. “It’s better to have students graduate after proper learning,” Ruto affirmed, putting a premium on adequate funding for quality education.