- President Ruto announced that all students admitted to public universities and colleges will receive full government funding starting September 2026.
- The new universal model replaces previous frameworks like the Differentiated Unit Cost and targeted parental contribution schemes, which failed to sustain institutions.
- Ruto urged Parliament to amend the HELB Act to enable rollout of the new financing framework.
President William Ruto has announced plans to fully fund every student admitted to a public university or college under proposed reforms to the higher education financing framework.
Speaking at State House on Tuesday, July 21, while receiving the report Developing a New Vision for Kenya: Towards a First World Nation, Ruto said the reforms, currently before Parliament, are intended to guarantee that no qualified learner is denied access to higher education due to financial constraints.
“Going forward, any student who has passed and is placed in a college or university… will get full funding for their education,” President Ruto stated, adding that the new funding model is to take effect in September 2026 once the Bill passes.
The President explained that the government is shifting to a universal model after previous approaches failed to adequately support students and institutions. He specifically cited the shortcomings of past frameworks, including the Differentiated Unit Cost (DUC) model.
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“Going into the future, we have tried to grapple with how to fund our universities. We tried the differentiated model. It did not work because it made most universities close down,” he said.
While the government previously attempted a targeted model requiring parental contributions based on assessed financial need, Ruto emphasised that the state has now resolved to guarantee universal coverage. However, parents who still wish to contribute toward their children’s fees will retain the option to do so.
“It will be the choice of parents to pay. If they don’t want to pay, we have a model to pay for them. We are doing it because we want to be deliberate,” the Head of State added.
The announcement marks a departure from the current funding model, which determines financial support based on students’ levels of need under the Variable Scholarship and Loan Funding Model.
President Ruto called on Members of Parliament to speed up amendments to the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) Act to facilitate the rollout of the new funding model beginning with the September 2026 university intake.
By Frank Mugwe
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