Updated Law To Commonize University Placement Regardless Of Sponsorship 2023
Updated Law To Commonize University Placement Regardless Of Sponsorship 2023. The Ministry of Education is thinking of revising the Universities Act to allow the centralized placement of both State-sponsored and self-sponsored students to higher education institutions under KUCCPS.
A change to Article 56 (1) (a) will allow the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) to accept candidates who are not backed by the government.
The modification will also necessitate the enrollment of international students by KUCCPS in both public and private colleges.
Mercy Wahome, CEO of KUCCPS, stated on Saturday that if funding and placement are separated, “it gives us the opportunity to house as many institutions as we can.”
“This will be helpful because it will give the students a central location for information,” she stated.
Due to limited funding and a rising student population, the government has faced financial challenges in sponsoring and assisting students at universities and other postsecondary institutions.
According to Wahome, the anticipated changes will also be in line with the needs-based sponsorship standard approved by President William Ruto’s administration, which would award different amounts of scholarships depending on a student’s financial status.
“How can you continue government sponsorship when everyone is receiving funding, the government is discussing budget cuts, and the population is increasing? We need to change the statute, she continued, to lessen the focus on the component that was sponsored by the government.
Updated financing model
Wahome’s comments come just after the government revealed important measures that will shift the way public universities are funded from university-based to student-based.
The new approach will take the place of the Differentiated Unit Cost (DUC) model, which saw the government pay 80% and students pay the remaining 20% regardless of financial position.
KUCCPS will put 173,027 of the 869,782 KCSE (2022) applicants who met the entry requirements for institutions.
Based on cluster weight, course cost, and preferred educational institutions, the 173,027 students who obtained a grade of C+ or better will apply for courses.
Students who want to enroll in colleges and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) facilities have started submitting their applications since the KUCCPS site opened on May 17.
Universities are required to provide information on the cost of their programs to help students make selections.
Wahome asserts that, under the new system, universities must entice students by guaranteeing that the courses they offer are relevant to the labor market.
The KUCCPS was established with responsibility for all government-based university and college placements under the Universities Act No. 42 of 2012.
It took the place of the Joint Admissions Board (JAB).