The Ministry of Education says funding for first-year university students under the Student-Centred Funding Model will begin on August 15, aligning with the reopening of universities.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba said HELB and the Universities Fund have been facilitated to release funds in phases to ease students’ transition into universities and TVET institutions. He added that scholarship disbursement for the first quarter of the 2025/2026 financial year has also begun.
Applications for loans and scholarships remain open until August 31. So far, 129,403 university students and 60,976 TVET trainees from the 2024 KCSE class have applied. This represents 64% of university and 51% of TVET applicants expected for the September intake.
“These funds will be released in phases to ensure a smooth transition into universities/TVET colleges and to help students settle into their academic journey without interruption,” stated the CS in a press statement.In total, the government aims to support 201,695 first-year university students, over 237,000 TVET trainees, and 257,523 continuing students.
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To boost capacity, HELB’s annual funding has been increased by Sh5 billion to Sh41 billion, with Sh13 billion already released for tuition and upkeep. Another Sh16.9 billion has been allocated to the Universities Fund for scholarships.
“This application portal remains open until August 31, 2025 and we encourage all eligible students who have not yet applied to do so before the deadline date,” he urged.
