Universities Fund to disburse Ksh 4.2B scholarship funds to support students

The Universities Fund is set to disburse Ksh.4.2 billion in scholarship funds to public universities this week, to support continuing students enrolled under the Student-Centred Funding Model (SCFM).

The disbursement will benefit students pursuing various programmes in public universities under the Model.

This was revealed by Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Universities Fund Dr. Edwin Wanyonyi, who said that the funds form part of budget allocations under the 2025/2026 financial year.

“In the 2025/2026 financial year, the Universities Fund has already disbursed Ksh.8.4 billion in scholarship support,” said Dr. Wanyonyi.

To qualify for government scholarships, students must be placed in a public university by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS), have sat the KCSE examination in 2022 or later, and formally apply through the Higher Education Financing (HEF) Portal.

“A new cohort of students who sat the 2025 KCSE examination and attained the minimum university entry grade will be expected to apply for scholarships through the HEF Portal,” said Dr Wanyonyi.

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The disbursement comes shortly after a technical workshop that brought together registrars and finance officers from public universities to strengthen institutional capacity in scholarship management, reporting, and reconciliation of funds under the Student-Centred Funding Model.

During the workshop, participants received practical guidance on the Universities Fund Institutional Portal, a standardized digital platform that enables universities to submit, validate, and reconcile student data efficiently.

The Student-Centred Funding Model was launched in 2023, representing one of the most significant reforms in Kenya’s higher education financing system.

Unlike previous models where funding was allocated directly to institutions, the new approach ensures that funding follows the student, with support determined by the learner’s level of financial need.

So far, 437,648 students have benefited from Universities Fund scholarships under the model, with over Ksh.37 billion disbursed to support undergraduate education. The first cohort of students under the SCFM is expected to graduate next year.

In recent years, Kenya’s higher education sector has experienced significant growth, with the country now having 83 universities serving thousands of students nationwide.

Similarly, the number of students qualifying for university admission has increased significantly, rising from 62,581 in 2017 to 270,715 in 2025, representing a 332 percent increase.

However, the growing demand for university education has also created a funding gap, underscoring the need for sustained investment in higher education financing.

By Juma Ndigo