HELB Innovative Technology for Identifying 45000 Needy Students
HELB Innovative Technology for Identifying 45000 Needy Students. The administration discussed the methods it is considering on May 16 in order to identify the 45,000 disadvantaged students who are qualified for full university funding.
The principal secretary of the State Department of Higher Education and Research, Beatrice Inyangala, and Geoffrey Monari, the president of the University Fund (UF), revealed on Citizen TV that the system will be totally scientific.
As a first for the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB), Monari stated that the institution will use an algorithm to determine which applicants should receive the government’s full support and which ones should only receive half of it.
It will be difficult for students to exaggerate their level of need because HELB will use numerous databases for verification.
“The information students provide will be cross-checked through Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), The National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), and The National Social Security Fund (NSSF) to determine whether the students flat-out lied in their applications about the level incomes of their parents,” said Monari.
He noted that since Identity Card numbers and the Integrated Population Registration System (IPRS) were linked, it was simple to assess the level of demand after consulting several databases.
We are currently looking into how the student’s data can be related to the population census, where various households submitted their income level.
Funding for students with one parent
Monari responded, “We will look at the schools the student attended,” when asked if children of single parents will be given preference. The self-sponsorship of a prestigious private school will indicate that the student does not need the whole amount of financing.
According to Inyangala, the financial situation of the parents would also affect whether or not the student received full funding.
She claimed that if a person made Ksh70,000 per month and had eight kids, they would be preferred to someone who made the same amount but only had one pupil.
The PS further noted that the funding amount will depend on the courses the children decide to enroll in.
“We will give additional support to students seeking careers in areas that are currently top priority for the country. She claims that these programs encourage the bottom-up approach to economic development.
President William Ruto unveiled a new university financing plan on May 3 that prioritizes students.
Block funding in the form of capitation based on differentiating unit costs will no longer be given to universities and TVETS. The President declared that funding for students would be graduated and would be blended from scholarships, loans, and household payments.
Out of 173,000 university students, just 45,000 will be fully funded by the government under the new system.
Finally, the remaining components will receive aid in the form of loans or scholarships, depending on the degree of need.