In the New University Funding Model, Parents to Pay Less Tuition Fees
In the New University Funding Model, Parents to Pay Less Tuition Fees. A claim that the government’s new funding model for students who are eligible for university placement through the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) will increase the financial burden of school fees on parents was refuted by Prof. Daniel Mugendi, vice chairman of the vice chancellors of public universities in Kenya.
On Wednesday’s episode of Citizen TV’s The Big Conversation, Mugendi expressed astonishment that the topic of tuition was being brought up given that, in his opinion, the new model does not boost the price of a university education.
Mugendi, who is also Embu University’s vice chancellor, voiced his surprise at the conversation surrounding fee increases.
He said that given the rise in tuition rates, the current period is particularly advantageous. He clarified further that the government’s suggested model is fundamentally favorable and advantageous to all parties.
The new model stipulates that after receiving admissions letters, each student will submit an individual application for scholarships and loans, and that the amount of financial aid received by each student will be determined by the family’s monthly income.
It will take effect when KCSE candidates are admitted to universities in 2022 and attempts to direct higher education aid to specific pupils based on carefully selected criteria.
The government has divided persons in need of money into four groups: the weak, the desperately poor, the poor, and the less poor.
According to the Higher Education Loans Board’s regulations, vulnerable and extremely needy students will receive all government funding for their education in the form of scholarships and loans, while needy and less needy students will receive 93% government funding, with the students paying 7% of the tuition costs.
Government financial aid of up to 40% and scholarships of up to 53% are available to students in need.
Mugendi went on to explain that households would pay only Ksh. 8,500 per year if they chose the most affordable option, which is valued at about Ksh. 122,600. “Could one fathom a more economical proposition?” he provocatively asked.
The household’s yearly contribution for choosing the premium medical program would only be Ksh. 42,800. Because of this, Mugendi highlights how vague the nature and extent of the planned increments are whenever the topic of higher fees comes up.
Mugendi noted that the prior sum was much greater than the fees reflected by the new funding model and that the former funding model contained additional payments that raised the overall amount of tuition fees parents would pay.
Mugendi pointed out that the prior Ksh 16,000 payment system changed over time. Universities reacted and added new fees including statutory deductions, different fees, and costs for using computers and having access to the internet.
As a result, students contributed more money overall than the initial Ksh. 16,000 intended. The revised total, on average, fell between Ksh. 40,000 and Ksh. 50,000.
Thus, it becomes clear that students are actually incurring relatively lower expenses when examining the current payment scheme.