The government has extended the deadline for first time university students and TVET trainees to apply for higher education funding.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba said the new deadline is September 21, 2026, giving students who missed the initial deadline another chance to apply.
The initial application window closed on August 31, with 789,422 applications received from eligible university students and TVET trainees.
Ogamba said the extension was necessary after some eligible students and trainees failed to submit their applications before the deadline.
The Universities Fund and the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) have been directed to reopen the application window.
“Recognising that some eligible students and trainees may not have met the initial deadline on account of various causes,” Ogamba said.
He urged all eligible first time applicants to use the extended window and submit their funding applications before September 21.
The government has also disbursed Sh22.12 billion in first semester and first term funding for continuing university students and TVET trainees.
Ogamba further clarified that first time applicants will continue to be assessed under the current Student Centred Funding Model.
This comes as the government seeks to introduce a new higher education funding framework through the Tertiary Education, Placement and Funding Bill, 2026.
The CS said transitional arrangements towards the proposed Universal Access and Funding Framework will only be implemented once Parliament passes the Bill.
The extension comes as thousands of first year students report to universities and TVET institutions for the 2026/2027 academic year, amid uncertainty over the new funding system.
Students who missed the August 31 deadline now have until September 21, 2026, to submit their applications.