The government has released Ksh14.4 billion as the second tranche to cover scholarships and loans for government-sponsored first-year students in universities under the Higher Education Funding (HEF) model.

Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu said the loans will also cover semester two 2023/2024 academic year loans for continuing students.

The CS said that of the total amount, Ksh10.39 billion will go towards loans under the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) while Ksh3.98 billion will be disbursed for scholarships through the Universities Fund (UF).

“This brings to Ksh23.6 billion the total amount released by the Government for loans and scholarships to first-year students since they joined their respective universities starting September 2023,” the CS in a statement on Thursday, January 18.

Under the model, the CS said, the Universities Fund will disburse funds directly to individual universities for the successful candidates to cover their tuition fees.

HELB, on the other hand, will disburse tuition loans directly to respective universities/colleges and upkeep loans to the respective student bank accounts or mobile phone numbers, with CS saying that universities will receive the scholarship portions for their respective students by January 19.

He also said categorization of students was realized through a reliable scientific method, Means Testing Instrument (MTI), used to determine the student's level of financial need, to ensure they are supported adequately.

The HEF model applies to the students who sat for KCSE from 2022 going forward. Candidates who sat the 2023 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education Examination in 2023 will form the second cohort of students to be subjected to the new funding model.

“The Ministry of Education wishes to express the government's unwavering commitment to promoting access to university education and providing financial support to students, to ensure no one is left behind,” the CS affirmed.

In October last year, the CS said that the government disbursed Ksh5.3 billion for student loans and a further Ksh3.9 Billion for scholarships for first years under the new funding model and Ksh10.3 Billion was released to HELB last September to cater for continuing student loans in Universities and TVET colleges.