- First-time university and TVET applicants have received another opportunity to seek Government financial support.
- The funding window has been extended to September 21 after nearly 790,000 initial applications.
- Students will remain under the current funding model as Parliament considers a proposed new framework.
First-time university students and TVET trainees who missed the Government funding application deadline have been given another chance to apply.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba has directed the Universities Fund and the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) to extend the application window, giving eligible applicants until September 21, 2026, to submit their funding requests.
Here are seven crucial things every first-time applicant should know.
1. The new deadline is September 21
Students who missed the original August 31, 2026, deadline have been given additional time.
The new application deadline is September 21, 2026.
Eligible first-time university students and TVET trainees should use the extension to submit their applications rather than assume that missing the first deadline automatically excludes them from Government support.
Ogamba said the extension was approved after the Government acknowledged that some eligible applicants may have been unable to submit their applications within the original period.
2. The extension covers first-time applicants
The fresh window targets eligible students and trainees applying for Government funding for the first time.
The Ministry acknowledged that some applicants failed to meet the original deadline because of various circumstances.
The extension is intended to give these students another opportunity to apply and be considered for financial assistance.
Ogamba has urged eligible applicants joining universities and TVET institutions to submit their applications promptly during the extended period.
3. Do not wait for the new funding law
One of the biggest sources of confusion has been the proposed new higher education funding framework.
Ogamba has clarified that first-time applications will continue to be processed under the current Student-Centred Funding Model while Parliament considers the proposed changes.
Students therefore do not need to wait for the new system to become operational before submitting their applications.
“For the avoidance of doubt, it is notified for the general information of the public that applications for funding for first-time applicants will be considered and processed in accordance with the current Student-Centred Funding Model,” Ogamba said.
Students who qualify should therefore submit their applications within the extended window under the system currently in operation.
4. Parliament is still considering major funding changes
Parliament is considering the Tertiary Education, Placement and Funding Bill, 2026.
The proposed legislation is expected to pave the way for a new Universal Access and Funding Framework.
However, the new framework is not yet the basis for processing current first-time applications.
The Ministry says appropriate transitional arrangements will be introduced once Parliament passes the legislation.
This means students should distinguish between the funding system currently processing applications and the proposed framework that is still awaiting legislative approval.
For applicants, the immediate concern should be completing their applications under the existing Student-Centred Funding Model before the September 21 deadline.
5. Sh22.12 billion has already been disbursed
Ogamba said the Government has already released Sh22.12 billion to support continuing university students and TVET trainees.
The money covers funding for the first semester for university students and the first term for TVET trainees.
The disbursement concerns continuing students, while funding applications for first-time students are still being processed.
The latest extension is therefore particularly important for first-time applicants who had not submitted their requests by August 31.
Students should not confuse the Sh22.12 billion already released for continuing beneficiaries with the funding currently being processed for new entrants.
6. First-year funding is still being processed
First-year university students and TVET trainees who apply during the extended period will have their applications considered under the current funding model.
Ogamba has said funding for first-time students is being processed and will be released once the process is completed.
Many first-year students have already reported to their institutions while awaiting Government scholarships, loans and other funding support.
The extension therefore means eligible students who had not applied by August 31 can still submit applications even as the processing of first-year funding continues.
Applicants should ensure that they complete the required process and provide the correct information to avoid unnecessary delays.
7. Do not wait until the last day
The most important takeaway is simple: September 21 is the new deadline.
Students who missed the August 31 deadline now have another opportunity, but they should not assume that another extension will automatically be granted.
The Government received 789,422 applications during the initial application window.
With such a large number of funding requests being processed, eligible students and trainees should submit their applications as early as possible and retain evidence that they successfully completed the application process.
Waiting until the final day could also expose applicants to avoidable problems such as incomplete information, difficulties accessing the application platform or discovering missing requirements when there is little time left to correct them.
A second chance for thousands
The extension offers relief to students who were unable to apply during the initial window.
But it also comes at a time when Kenya’s higher education financing system is undergoing a major transition.
The proposed Universal Access and Funding Framework is expected to replace the current arrangement once the necessary legislation is approved and transitional mechanisms put in place.
For now, however, the Government’s position is clear: first-time applicants should apply under the current Student-Centred Funding Model while the proposed new framework awaits parliamentary action.
The deadline is September 21, 2026.
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For students who missed the first opportunity, this could be the window they need to secure Government financial support for their university or TVET education.
By Hillary Muhalya
