The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) has opened the 2026 inter-institutional transfer application window, allowing students placed in universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions to apply for transfers to other institutions.
In a notice issued on Friday, KUCCPS said the 30-day application period is open to eligible students from the 2023, 2024 and 2025 KCSE cohorts.
The agency explained that transfers will be processed subject to applicants meeting the required programme cut-off points and the availability of vacancies in the institutions they wish to join.
Applications can be submitted through the KUCCPS Student Portal before the deadline of August 14, 2026.
The agency encouraged students who were recently placed in universities or TVET programmes but wish to study at a different institution to take advantage of the application period.
"Were you recently placed in a university or TVET programme and wish to move to a different institution? Take advantage of the current 30-day inter-institutional transfer application period. Log in to KUCCPS Student's Portal and apply for a transfer," the placement service stated.
According to the notice, the transfer exercise is open to candidates from the 2023, 2024 and 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) cohorts.
However, KUCCPS said applicants must meet the minimum cut-off points required for the programmes they intend to join.
The placement agency also noted that transfers will only be approved where institutions have available capacity to accommodate additional students.
In its announcement, KUCCPS stated: "2023, 2024 and 2025 KCSE cohorts eligible. Must meet respective cut-off points. Subject to available slots. Deadline: August 14, 2026."
The application window provides students with an opportunity to reconsider their institution of study after the placement process, provided they satisfy the eligibility requirements set by the placement agency and the receiving institution.
Students wishing to transfer are required to log into the KUCCPS Student Portal and complete the application before the deadline.
The placement agency has set August 14, 2026, as the closing date for submitting transfer requests.
The transfer process is expected to benefit students seeking institutions that better align with their academic goals, geographical preferences or other personal considerations while ensuring that admissions remain within approved institutional capacities.
KUCCPS coordinates placement of government-sponsored students to public and private universities, constituent colleges and accredited TVET institutions across the country.
The transfer exercise follows the release of the 2026/2027 KUCCPS placement results, which saw 293,869 students secure places in universities and other tertiary institutions for the upcoming academic year.
Of these, 202,133 were placed in degree programmes, while others were admitted to TVET institutions, the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC), teacher training colleges, the Kenya School of Law and Kenya Utalii College.
However, more than 57,000 candidates who attained the minimum university entry grade of C+ were not placed in degree programmes, prompting the Ministry of Education to reopen the placement portal and extend the application review period.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba initially directed KUCCPS to develop a mechanism for late applications to ensure that eligible candidates who missed the initial application window could still secure placement.
During the release of the placement results, Ogamba also extended the inter-institutional transfer window from the usual two weeks to 30 days, saying the move would give students more time to transfer to their preferred institutions after placement.
Education courses remained the most sought-after programmes during this year's placement cycle, accounting for about 40 percent of applications, while medicine was among the most competitive, attracting more than 6,500 applicants for just 702 available slots.
Students wishing to change institutions have until August 14, 2026, to submit transfer requests through the KUCCPS Student Portal.
Applications will only be considered if candidates meet the required programme cut-off points and there are vacancies at their preferred institutions.
The transfer process forms part of KUCCPS's placement management system, allowing students to change institutions while maintaining programme eligibility requirements and institutional admission capacities.