The Ministry has declared that the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) will launch its application portal prior to the month’s conclusion, allowing more than 200,000 students who have attained eligibility for university admission in the 2024 KCSE exams to seek placement.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba informed the National Assembly Committee on Education on Wednesday that the placement procedure will begin shortly, despite lingering uncertainties regarding funding.
“There was a lack of clear comprehension regarding KUCCPS and university financing, particularly as the existing funding framework was influenced by a judicial ruling. We agreed to first initiate the KUCCPS portal. Furthermore, we concurred that by the close of this month, the portals would be accessible for university candidates. We are currently deliberating on the next steps and addressing associated concerns,” Ogamba shared with MPs.
KUCCPS Chief Executive Officer Agnes Mercy Wahome revealed that the agency had acquired details on available spaces from universities and was awaiting board sanction to officially announce the precise date for the portal’s opening.
“This week, we received the approved capacities from universities. They have declared a total capacity of around 300,000, so it’s evident that the number exceeds the students who qualified for admission. We will facilitate placement for all qualified students who apply,” Wahome informed Nation.
Nevertheless, students will not be able to view the costs of academic programs on the portal as was customary over the past two years, in adherence to a High Court decision that annulled the funding model instituted by the government in 2023.
“We cannot exhibit the program costs. Placement and financing have been separated,” Wahome clarified, emphasizing that KUCCPS’ responsibility is confined to placement and does not extend to student financing.
Students’ uncertainty
The ruling has left many students in a state of confusion regarding financing their education.
The Universities Fund (UF), responsible for tuition capitation, and the Higher Education Loans Board (Helb), which provides student loans, have yet to clarify how new students, along with those in their second and third years, will be financed under the new guidelines.
KUCCPS had contested the court’s ruling, but its efforts to obtain a stay were unsuccessful. Thus, the placement body is unable to incorporate program costs on the portal, disrupting the government’s student-focused funding model, which necessitated applicants to view market-rate tuition fees before applying for financial aid.
Meanwhile, government-sponsored students will no longer be placed in private universities.
In a letter dated January 15, 2024, Ogamba directed KUCCPS to refrain from placing students in private universities, referencing a directive from President William Ruto during the fifth graduation ceremony at Scotts Christian University.
“This reiterates the policy adopted following the implementation of the student-centered funding model that separated placement from funding, under which students assigned to public universities are qualified for both scholarships and loans,” stated Ogamba’s letter.
The government still owes private universities over Sh45 billion in outstanding tuition fees for students placed in these institutions since the program’s inception in 2016. Some affected students have already completed their studies, yet the debt remains unresolved.
In response to the funding dilemma, President Ruto appointed a committee last year to review the funding model. However, the recommendations are yet to be disclosed due to the ongoing court case.
The ambiguity surrounding funding seems to have caused a shift in student preferences, with more learners favoring private universities, as indicated by placement data from the past two years when the previous funding model was active.
As the KUCCPS portal gets ready to launch, countless students continue to await clarity on how they will finance their education amidst the changing policy landscape.
