First-Year varsity students to get new letters latest Monday

Nairobi, Kenya

The Ministry of Education has announced that new admission letters have been released for the 2023 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) cohort, following President William Ruto's directive.

The directive, issued on August 14, 2024, required universities to update fee structures and outline the annual household contribution towards the cost of degree programmes for First-Year students.

In a statement, Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Education Julius Migosi Ogamba said that the first batch of 125,893 students who applied for loans and scholarships under the Student-Centred Model has begun receiving their letters. 

"We are committed to ensuring that no eligible student is left behind in accessing higher education," Dr Ogamba said in a press release sent to newsrooms on Friday.

He assured that all universities have been directed to ensure these letters reach students by Monday next week.

Dr Ogamba said that this development aligns with the Government’s commitment to affordable higher education.

He confirmed that Sh25.3 billion has been set aside to support the 2024/25 students who applied for scholarships and loans. 

These funds, he said, will be distributed based on the Student-Centred Model, which assesses students' financial needs according to predefined bands. 

The Cabinet Secretary also explained that the evaluation process for funding takes into account several factors, including the student’s family economic background, socio-demographic factors, and family education expenditures. 

He emphasised that affirmative action will be applied to ensure fair and equitable distribution of funds.

For students with queries or appeals regarding fees, Dr Ogamba said that the Ministry has provided support through the Higher Education Portal. 

He added that the application portal remains open for those who have yet to apply and urged prompt submissions to facilitate timely processing.

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