Education
Kenya’s parents have continued to express strong dissatisfaction with the recently released funding disbursement bands for tuition loans and scholarships by the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB).
The new model categorizes university and college students into different funding bands based on factors like economic background and socio-demographic conditions. The goal is to allocate financial aid more effectively based on student’s level of need. Samuel Odhiambo, a parent from Migori County, said that they followed all the due process and correctly filled out his family income but the student was placed in a different band.
The peasant farmer from Suna West Sub County disclosed that his son who scored a straight A and awaiting to join medical school at the University of Nairobi was placed in band five even after correctly declaring their income during the filling HELB process.
According to the Higher education breakdown, Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery under band five, the annual household contribution is Sh 244,800 which is 40 percent of the annual programme costs which stands at Sh 612,000. Odhiambo noted that many parents across the country feel that the new system is deeply flawed and unfair and may end up locking the majority of students from poor backgrounds out of the universities.
Others questioned the criteria used by the government to determine which band each family would fall under. The classification has attracted uproar from Kenyan parents as some have termed the new model unfair.
With university costs continuing to rise, Kenyan families are deeply concerned about their ability to afford higher education. Odhiambo said that the backlash over this new HELB funding system highlights the pressing need for the government to develop an equitable solution that truly meets the needs of students from all economic backgrounds.
The Ministry of Education under the leadership of the Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migosi directed on Wednesday all Vice Chancellors to admit students unconditionally and assist them with accommodation irrespective of their ability to immediately pay their household contribution.