Thousands of students who missed out on their preferred university courses through the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) are now encountering various obstacles as they attempt to revise their choices.
They have until Tuesday, May 27, 2025, to select different programmes, as the most popular ones have already been filled.
Many have voiced their frustrations about the selection process, particularly regarding course costs and the government’s funding strategy. Unlike in previous years, the placement portal does not display the cost of programmes, a practice that has been in place since the government rolled out the Variable Scholarship Loan Funding Model.
Although the High Court ruled the funding model unconstitutional last year, the government appealed the decision.
In March, the Court of Appeal suspended the High Court’s ruling pending a full hearing. During this time, the government has yet to clarify how the upcoming batch of students will be financed.
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After taking the 2024 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exam, more than 246,000 students qualified for university placement.
On May 18, KUCCPS reopened the course revision window and invited students who had not been placed in the initial application phase to revisit the portal and select from the remaining options.
“Revision of choices for 2025/2026 cycle placement to Universities and TVET Programmes: The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) online application system is open for the Revision of Choices for Placement of students to universities and colleges for the 2025/2026 Placement Cycle.
“Applicants who did not secure a course in the application that ended on April 30, 2025, are invited to log in again and choose remaining courses as listed on the portal. Form Four leavers who attained a mean grade in their respective KCSE examinations but are yet to apply for placement are also invited,” the agency said on its website.
Pathway through the initial application period, KUCCPS reported that over 100,000 students who scored the minimum C+ university entry grade in the 2024 KCSE exams had not applied by the April 30 deadline.
“I am trying to apply for a Bachelor’s in Education, but the only public university I qualify for is in Nyandarua. The others are private universities. This is very frustrating; I logged in and got an error. I am stuck, but I’m still trying,” said Reinson Collins.
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Students cited several factors influencing their decisions, including tuition costs, school location, and institutional reputation.
In the first application, I applied for a Bachelor of Laws, a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Diplomacy, and a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Media and Communication. Unfortunately, I was rejected for all and advised to apply for something different.
“However, the only courses available now are in private universities, which my mum can’t afford, since I was a sponsored student in high school. I’m also not sure whether HELB funding is available for students in private universities,” said Vanessa Gitonga.
According to KUCCPS, reopening the portal will give thousands of Form Four graduates a chance to either revise their selections or submit new applications for university and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes.
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Agency CEO Dr. Mercy Wahome stated that application patterns show some programmes attract few students, while others are in high demand despite limited space.
“My child applied for pharmacy and nursing courses, but I’ve not received any results. Now we are applying again. What courses are remaining? The other options are in private universities – we are stuck,” said Lenny Atieno.
Kenyan universities have declared 300,000 available slots, regulated by the Commission for University Education (CUE), which assesses institutions’ facilities to determine how many students they can take in. These limits are based on infrastructure, staffing, and other resources, which sometimes restrict admissions capacity.
By Cornelius Korir
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