Gov't releases Sh8bn for university students’ loans, scholarships

The government has disbursed a total of Sh8 billion in loans and scholarships to support university students across the country.

In a press release, Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Education Julius Migos Ogamba provided an update on the funding, categorisation of students, and appeals process.

So far, 134,029 applications for loans and scholarships have been submitted through the Higher Education Portal.

Out of these, 127,591 applications have already been categorised into various funding bands. 

The Ministry has released Sh5.2 billion to the Higher Education Loans Board (Helb) for tuition and upkeep loans, and an additional Sh 2.8 billion has been allocated to the Universities Fund for scholarships.

The funds are currently being disbursed to students’ university and personal accounts, pending confirmation of their admission and reporting. 

The disbursement process is on track and will be completed by August 30, 2024,” Mr Ogamba said on Friday.

A significant number of students have appealed their funding categorisation.

“We have received 12,958 appeals for re-categorisation,” he said, adding that the processing of these appeals has already begun. 

The Ministry expects to conclude the appeals process within three(3) weeks of receiving each submission.

For those who miss the initial deadline, the portal will remain open for late appeals until December 31, 2024.

The re-categorisation process will focus on verifying the socio-economic background of applicants, their socio-demographic factors, and family education expenses, with special consideration given to affirmative action. 

To ensure fairness and accuracy, the Ministry said is working closely with officers from the National Government Administration Office in a multi-agency approach.

The officers will verify the information provided by applicants from their respective jurisdictions across the country’s 106,600 villages.

The CS emphasised the importance of accuracy in the application process, stating, “this approach underscores the Government's commitment to ensuring that no student is left behind”.

 Funding decisions, he said, shall be based on accurate and verified information, and “we urge all applicants to act with integrity and provide comprehensive details about their circumstances.”

As the Ministry moves forward with the disbursement and appeals process, Mr Ogamba reiterated the government's dedication to transparency, efficiency, and accountability in the student funding programme.

He also assured that any challenges arising will be promptly addressed through collaboration with stakeholders.