Public university students who are continuing their studies will receive Sh4.2 billion this week as part of a government effort to fund learners directly under the Student Centred Funding Model. The move is intended to reduce financial barriers and ensure that students progress without interruptions.
Acting Universities Fund chief executive, Edwin Wanyonyi, disclosed during a technical workshop in Naivasha that the allocation will support students across various programmes, marking a shift from the traditional system where universities received lump-sum funds rather than students themselves.
“In the 2025/2026 financial year, the Universities Fund has already disbursed Sh8.4 billion in scholarship support,” Wanyonyi said, adding that more than Sh37 billion has been distributed to public universities since 2023 to support undergraduate education.
The first group of learners enrolled under the Student-Centred Funding Model, which was introduced in 2021, is on track to graduate in 2027. The system calculates funding based on individual financial need, ensuring that students from low-income households receive higher support, while others contribute through family resources or student loans.
Under the programme, scholarships cover between 30 and 70 per cent of tuition, with remaining fees expected from household contributions or loans. To qualify, students must have been admitted through the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service and must have sat the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examination in 2022 or later.
Applications are submitted through the Higher Education Financing Portal, where the Means Testing Instrument assesses a student’s level of need. “A new cohort of students who sat the 2025 KCSE examination and attained the minimum university entry grade will be expected to apply for scholarships through the HEF Portal,” Wanyonyi said.
Kenya’s university system has grown sharply in the past few years, expanding to 83 institutions nationwide. Enrollment has surged from 62,581 students in 2017 to 270,715 in 2025, creating pressure on available funding and prompting the need for the Student-Centred Funding Model.
The latest announcement follows assurances from the Ministry of Education that university fees will not rise this year, despite more than 250,000 students from the 2025 KCSE exams seeking admission.
While releasing the KCSE results in Uasin Gishu County on January 9, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba said, “At the tertiary level, we are implementing the Student-Centred Funding Model, which provides students and trainees with scholarships and loans based on need.”
Ogamba further highlighted that public university fees have been rationalised, with semester costs now ranging from Sh5,800 to Sh75,000, representing reductions of between 15 and 40 per cent in various programmes.
The Student-Centred Funding Model was unveiled by President William Ruto on May 3, 2023, to tackle persistent funding challenges in public universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions.
The policy aims to meet the rising demand for higher education, which has grown faster than available financial resources, and to ensure that support reaches the students who need it most.