Nairobi — Lawmarkers are pushing for the amalgamation and consolidation of all funds and bursaries supporting needy students entrenched to arrest an apparrent funding crisis in higher learning institutions.
The proposed reforms seek to consolidate the Higher Education and Loans Board (HELB) and all funds including scholarships and bursaries issued by Governors and legislators, both national and sub-national.
The fate of needy students set to join higher learning institutions still hangs in limbo amid uncertainty over the ability of parents and guardians to raise required fee quotas.
A section of education stakeholders have criticizing the funding model for locking out the dreams of needy students.
Debate on the model which requires students to top up varying amounts to complement State funding unfolded as Principal Secretary State Department for Higher Learning Beatrice Inyang'ala appeared in an informal meeting before the National Assembly to deliberate on the funding model.
"All these resources come from the same source the diminishing public purse. MCAs giving bursary, the MP is giving bursary, the Governor is giving bursary , HELB is disbursing money," Speaker Moses Wetangula who chaired the forum remarked.
"If you are able and its you to generate policy this house will be more than happy to turn it into law so that we can amalgamate these funds," Wetangula said.
Laikipia University Vice Chancellor who accompanied the PS assured that the consolidation of the funds will address the perennial issue of inadequate funding for higher learning institution students.
"The matter on whether University Education should be free, I report that this will be a policy issue which this Parliament and government needs to decide and make a decision on," Prof Joseph Rotich told lawmakers.
MTI placement gaps
Prof Rotich noted the amalgamation of education funds could afford students in tertiary institutions, including colleges and TVETS, free education.
This is even as the ineffectiveness of the Means Testing Instrument (MTI) used to classify students in different funding categories emerged with critics citing data inaccuracies and inadequate grading parameters.
The funding model places students in five bands using eight variables, including parents' background, gender, course type, marginalization, disability, family size, and composition.
The model combines the variables to determine household needs and appropriate funding. However, parents and learners have decryied miscategorization with a majority placed in band 4 and band 5.
PS Inyang'ala elaborated that some students had falsified information of the different parameters used in classification.
"We are dealing with an issue of inaccuracy of data. Without reliable data on income it is impossible to use data in the categorization of students," she said.
House Minority Whip Millie Odhiambo questioned the frequent updates in the new funding model system in the event of changing circumstances during the four-year learning period.
"When do we factor the changing circumstances in the event that a student went to private school and their parents died. The placing of students in different category is it a situation of date or the reality in the country," said the Suba North MP.
Suba South MP Caroli Omondi asserted that social parameters used to classify students including family income and household level will open the system to corruption and fraud.
"The biggest problem is that we are using social parameters for financial issues. We need to use financial tools on this matter," Omondi said.
Appeals
Majority Whip Sylvanus Osoro expressed concern over an apparent gender bias.
"I need clarity on the disbursement of loans and the payment structure. I don't understand how gender falls on defining means of loans to a student in terms of amount. Is it that one gender is richer or poorer?" Osoro posed.
The Principal Secretary defended the use of the new university funding model citing the sucessful rollout in 2023.
"We are working on a new design to factor all the feedback [being] raised on the funding system," PS Inyang'ala said adding, "it has not [been] updated consequently because this platform is currently in use".
In 2023, 9,720 students appealed their funding categorization with only 5,087 students reporting sucess.
Legislators questioning the timelines on the appeals mechanism for students categorized in the wrong band in the funding model.
"What are the timelines from the when the notice of appeal is made and when the changes will be made?" questioned Funyula MP Wilberforce Oundo.
University Fund Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Godfrey Monari assured of a three-week timeframe.
"When the students make appeals, they will be processed within three weeks of application," Monari said.
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Accommodation fees
The Ministry of Education remained non-committal on whether the students set to join campus in September will enroll without accommodation fees which has remained a sticky issue as students depend on HELB funding to facilitate the expense.
"Can the Vice Chancellors liaise with private entities who offer accommodation so that children join and then they will be paid in an agreement? Why can't we have this being proposed?" the Speaker proposed.
Baringo North MP Joseph Makilap demanded clarity on the matter.
"We don't want stories, we want solutions," he quipped.
University of Embu Vice Chancellor Daniel Mugendi, serving as the Chairman of the Vice-Chancellor's Committee of Public Universities in Kenya, termed the accmodation issue "difficult".
"The accommodation issue is difficult because private investors give accommodation, so it might be hard to consider it," he said adding that the institutions will only make assuarances on not sending students away on fee balances.
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