Government Commits Funds Across Various Education Levels to Support Students

Nairobi,

Friday, October 6, 2023

KNA by Nkooma Samson

The Ministry of Education, under the leadership of Cabinet Secretary (CS) Ezekiel Machogu has taken significant steps to provide financial support to students across the country.

As of October 5th, 2023, the government has disbursed billions of Kenyan shillings to various levels of education, offering a lifeline to both continuing and first-year students.

In a media briefing at his office, Jogoo House in Nairobi, the CS highlighted the Ministry’s dedication to fostering education at all levels.

The comprehensive financial support extends from basic education to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and higher education institutions.

In a significant move to boost basic education, Machogu stated that the government disbursed Sh67 billion to public primary and secondary school learners, affirming its commitment to quality basic education.

For the Free Primary Education Programme, Sh7.9 billion has been released to support 9 million learners in public primary schools.

According to the CS, the Junior School sector has received Sh14.7 billion, benefitting 1 million learners, while Sh44.4 billion has been allocated for capitation under the Free Day Secondary Education program, catering to 3.7 million students.

Speaking about the Support for colleges and universities continuing students, Machogu revealed that in the Financial Year 2023/2024, the government has allocated Sh51.1 billion to students enrolled in TVET and universities.

Equally, continuing students have been provided with tuition and upkeep loans, with Sh10.5 billion disbursed on October 4th, 2023, through the Higher Education Loans Board.

Machogu noted, “Each of the benefitting students in university receives a minimum loan of Sh37,000 and a maximum of Sh60,000. On the other hand, each successful TVET trainee is awarded an average of Sh40,000 per annum."

Speaking on the First Year Students and Scholarships program, Machogu said that the government launched the student application process for higher education scholarships and loans for the 2022 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examination cohort.

While he pointed out that the initial application deadline was set for September 7th, 2023, Machogu deemed it fit to extend it to October 7th, 2023, to accommodate all eligible applicants.

In correspondence to the CS's report, as of October 4th, 2023, a total of 238,714 applications had been submitted, indicating a strong student interest in government funding opportunities.

Furthermore, on the future outlook and commitment, Machogu declared that the number of applications is expected to rise as the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service validates data for students who have transferred to different degree programs or universities.

In line with that, the university fund and higher education loans Board have initiated the processing of scholarships and bursaries for all eligible students.

“All efforts are being made to ensure that the loans and scholarships are released to applicants on time to facilitate their learning activities,” he assured.

Drawing from the Ministry’s submission on admission and inclusivity, he acknowledged that the higher education institutions are under firm instructions to admit students who have reported, even in cases where they do not have the necessary fees.

Machogu cited a current report showing that 86.6 percent (121,367) of the 140,147 university students have reported to institutions and have already commenced studies for the 2023/2024 Academic Year.

“The number is expected to rise as more universities open their doors, and TVET institutions continue to admit students on a rolling basis,” observed Machogu. 

He reiterated that the Ministry of Education is making substantial achievements in ensuring access to quality education, maintaining that with billions of shillings disbursed across various education levels and a commitment to inclusivity and timely financial support, the government’s dedication to uplifting the nation's students is evident.

Courtesy; KNA