Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has stepped in to clarify mounting confusion around the government’s recent 40% cut in university fees, a move that was supposed to ease financial strain for thousands of students but has instead left many unsure of what to expect.
Last week, Ogamba announced that all university courses would have their fees sliced dramatically.
The news was a welcome relief to students and parents across the board, especially those who are struggling to pay the rising costs of higher learning.
Weeks later, however, most students say they have yet to be formally informed of how much they will end up paying, or whether their financial aid requests have been granted under the new program
Speaking on Monday, Ogamba acknowledged the delays and confusion, explaining that the rollout hit a few snags due to late submissions of student data by some universities.
“Everything on our end was ready by Friday, August 15,” Ogamba said. “But some universities didn’t start uploading student details until this week. Others were delayed by the weekend. We expect the process to be completed within days.”
At Kisii University, several students have threatened to pause their studies until they receive clear details on what they owe. Some say the 40% fee cut doesn’t seem to apply across all courses.
Ogamba warned that no student should panic, assuring that the delays are only temporary and would not affect admissions or classes.
“This is a transition period,” he assured. “We’re making sure that the new system runs smoothly and no student gets left behind.”
The cuts in fees are among the government’s new student-centered funding program, whose goal is to broaden access to higher education.
Under the model, students are categorized based on financial need. Those from vulnerable or low-income backgrounds are eligible for more government support, while families with greater means are expected to contribute more.
All applications for funding are being handled through the Higher Education Financing (HEF) portal. However, officials say it is impossible to approve all of them at once, with thousands of applications coming in daily
However, Ogamba insists that the government’s intention is clear as day: make university more accessible, and not have students forced out because of fees.
