Tharaka Nithi County Woman Rep Susan Ngugi Mwindu has appealed to the national government to revise placement and funding method of university students.
She said some needy students who come from poor background were placed in the same band with those from rich families, which will disadvantage vulnerable children.
“Some of these families can only raise Ksh6,000 in a month. Why compare a child from Ikumbo, Ithaeni or Ntentene whose mother cannot raise Ksh2,000 per month with a family raising Ksh100,000 per month? The government should revise the model,” Mwindu said.
She also urged the government to harmonize bursary funds entrusted to NG-CDF, Woman Rep’s office and counties so that one student does not get a chunk of all these funds, leaving others without a coin.
“If these funds are put in one basket with good arrangements and allocated depending on need, every student will benefit,” Mwindu said.
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The new funding framework replaces the Differentiated Unit Cost (DUC) previously used to finance universities.
Unveiled on May 3, the model according to President William Ruto aims to ensure that all eligible students receive adequate educational financial support.
Ruto said the model seeks to address the challenges encountered by public universities and technical and vocational education (TVET) institutions due to massive enrollment and inadequate funding.
The model prioritizes a student’s financial need and separates placement from funding.
Under this model, universities and TVET institutions will no longer receive block funding in the form of capitation but instead funding for students will be provided through scholarships, loans and household contributions.
As the 2023 KCSE cohort prepares to embark on the next chapter of their education journey, the new funding model is set to be put to test.
By John Majau
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