- Hillary Muhalya explains when students should approach their university rather than KUCCPS for course changes.
- Internal programme transfers are handled by universities, provided students meet the required admission conditions.
- Inter-institutional transfers, however, must follow the official KUCCPS transfer process and applicable requirements.
First-year university students unhappy with their courses have been given a crucial message by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS): you do not need KUCCPS approval to change your course if you are staying in the same university.
The clarification could save newly admitted students from making unnecessary applications through the national placement system as they reconsider their academic choices.
For many students, the first weeks at university can bring a reality check. A programme that looked attractive during the application and placement period may turn out to be different from what they expected.
Others may discover new interests, realise that their strengths lie elsewhere or become more convinced that another career path suits them better.
But before rushing to the KUCCPS portal, students need to establish whether they are changing their course or their university.
That distinction determines who handles the transfer.
Students who want to change from one programme to another within the same university should deal directly with their institution. KUCCPS does not process such internal or inter-faculty transfers.
The university is responsible for setting and administering its internal transfer procedure. Students should therefore contact the relevant faculty, department, admissions office or academic registrar to find out how to apply and when applications are accepted.
Internal transfers have conditions
But there is an important catch.
Being already admitted to a university does not automatically mean a student can move into any programme of choice.
The university must establish whether the student satisfies the admission requirements for the new programme.
For degree programmes, KUCCPS says institutions must observe the applicable programme cut-off points and admission requirements before approving an internal transfer.
A student who wants to move into a highly competitive programme may therefore be required to meet the academic requirements applicable to that course.
Students should consequently avoid relying on informal assurances from fellow students or social-media groups.
The safest route is to obtain the requirements directly from the university before submitting an application.
Different rules when changing universities
The situation is completely different when a student wants to leave the current university and join another institution.
That is an inter-institutional transfer, and KUCCPS is responsible for the process.
A student cannot simply secure a place at another university and assume that the move is complete.
KUCCPS says an applicant seeking an inter-institutional transfer must meet the minimum requirements for the desired programme and the cut-off points for that programme at the destination institution. The institutions involved must also endorse the transfer.
The transfer processing fee is Sh1,000, and KUCCPS says applicants can make an inter-institutional transfer only once.
This distinction means students should ask themselves one simple question before beginning any transfer process:
Am I changing my course, or am I changing my university?
If the university remains the same, start with the institution.
If the university is changing, KUCCPS becomes part of the process.
KUCCPS normally opens the inter-institutional transfer system for a specific period after placement results are released, and students are advised to monitor its website and official communication channels for the relevant window.
Students who submit transfer applications should also monitor their KUCCPS student portals for updates on the process.
The clarification comes at a time when thousands of first-year students are making some of the earliest major academic decisions of their university lives.
For parents, the message is equally important.
A student who complains about a course should not immediately be advised to abandon the university or begin another placement application.
The first step should be to establish whether an internal programme change is possible.
Students should also resist changing courses simply because friends consider another programme more prestigious or because they have heard that a particular career pays well.
A good course change should be based on academic ability, career goals, personal interests, programme requirements and realistic employment opportunities.
University placement is not necessarily the end of the road.
In some cases, students can correct their academic direction without leaving their institutions.
But knowing who handles the change is the first step.
For internal course changes, start with the university.
For movement between universities, follow the KUCCPS process.
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That simple distinction could prevent students from wasting time, submitting applications to the wrong institution or missing important academic deadlines.
By Hillary Muhalya
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