The Ministry of Education has extended the deadline for applications of scholarships and loans for students joining universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions this year following the current low application rate.
Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu said the deadline had been extended by a month from September 7, 2023 to October 7, 2023 to ensure all eligible students are not locked out.
“The application period for loans and scholarships, initially scheduled to lapse on September 7, 2023, has now been extended to October 7, 2023,” he stated, further directing the Universities Fund (UF) and Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) to put in place measures to speedily commence processing the scholarships and bursaries for students who have already applied.
The portal was opened on July 31, 2023. As of September 5, only 156, 632 students had successfully applied for higher education funding out of the expected 265, 000 applicants placed in universities and TVET colleges by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS).
The CS stated that even though various universities have already started admitting first year students, the government has put in place measures to ensure students are not turned away for failure to pay school fees since the government is processing their funds applications.
Some students have complained that the application process is slow while others cite lack of infrastructure since the process is wholly online.
UF Chief Executive Officer Geoffrey Monari explained that the delay in the applications is caused by technological challenges.
By Thuita Jaswant
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