Students from middle-class Big Casualties in the New University Government Funding Program
Students from middle-class backgrounds face a greater risk of dropping out of Universities after the government introduced a new funding program.
The new government funding program for Public Universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training Institutions (TVETS) has grouped students into three financial categories that are vulnerable, less vulnerable, and able, this puts the abled class at a greater risk of dropping out of school.
According to this Model, the government will only give scholarships of up to 38% of the cost of their degree courses to students who come from rich backgrounds leaving them to cater for the remaining huge amount.
Parents will therefore have to strain more in raising the remaining amount of school fees.
Kevin a student at Masinde Muliro University says the new funding program is going to lock out students from middle-class families from joining Private Universities.
Students in private Universities will get stranded due to the high cost of education without scholarships.
“Not all courses are available in public Universities and all Public Universities cannot accommodate all students,” added the Masinde Muliro comrade.
According to President Ruto, vulnerable students will not pay tuition fees as they will get government scholarships that will cover the full cost of their education while students from less vulnerable backgrounds will receive government scholarships of up to 53% and 40% loans from the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB), and households will contribute 7%.
“Students who will opt to join private universities will be free to apply for the HELB loans but will not get government scholarships, “said the president.
By Hilda Ngetich and Lawrence Mutie
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