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INTRODUCTION

The higher education sector has been facing significant financial challenges due to the increasing number of students qualifying for and enrolling in various higher education programs. This growth has led to a substantial rise in budget requirements,which are no tbeing met by current budgetary allocations,causing financial strain on higher learning institutions. In response, the Ministry of Education (MoE) has developed a new, sustainable funding mechanism to address these issues and ensure the continued provision of quality higher education.

On May 3, 2023, His Excellency the President of the Republic of Kenya announced the introduction of a new funding model for higher education, effective from the financial year 2023/2024. This student-centered funding model (SCFM) represents a significant shift from the previous block funding approach, the Differentiated Unit Cost (DUC), which primarily allocated funds directly to institutions, a block amount which was shared amongst the enrolled students which led to a lower grant amount per student. Under the new model, financial support is targeted directly to students based on their level of need,as determined by the Means Testing Instrument (MTI).

KeyComponentsoftheNewFundingModel

• Student-CenteredApproach

The new funding model focuses on providing financial aid directlyto students rather than institutions. This approach ensures that resources are allocated more equitably based on individual student needs.

2)      MeansTestingInstrument(MTI)

The MTI is a critical tool used to assess each student’s financial need. It considers a range of socioeconomic indicators, including household income, geographical location poverty probability index, special circumstances such as orphans and students with disability, number of dependents, program costs, expenditure on education and gender. These indicators are scientifically weighted to ensure a fair and transparent allocation of funds.

3)      CollaborativeImplementation

The implementation of the new funding model involves collaboration among three government agencies and one state department, namely:

• Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Services (KUCCPS): Responsible for career guidance and placement of students into higher learning institutions.
• Universities Fund (UF): Provides scholarships to government- sponsored students in public universities.
• Higher Education Loans Board (HELB): Offers tuition loans to students in public and private universities as well as public TVET colleges and provides upkeep payments directly to students.
• State Department of TVET (SDTVET): Offers scholarships to students in public TVET colleges under MoE.

ProgramCostsandTuitionFees

Previously,theDifferentiatedUnitCost(DUC)modelwasusedtoallocatetuition fees in Kenyan universities. The DUC model calculated funding based on the average cost of delivering various programs. However, this model often led to disparitiesandinconsistenciesinfundingallocations,asitdidnotalwaysreflect the true cost of individual programs.

TransitiontoActualProgramCosts:

Theshifttousingactualprogramcostsforuniversitytuitionisaimedatensuring a more accurate and equitable allocation of funds. This new approach aligns tuition fees directly with the specific costs associated with each academic program, providing a clearer and more transparent funding mechanism.

ImportanceofusingActualProgram Cost:

• AccurateReflectionofProgramCosts
  • Cost Analysis: Each university program is analyzed to determine the actual expenses incurred in delivering the program. This includes faculty salaries, laboratory and equipment costs, materials, and other necessary resources.
  • Transparent Fee Structure: The actual program cost model provides a transparent fee structure, enabling students and stakeholders to understand the basis for tuition fees.

2)       EquitableFundingAllocation

• FairDistribution:Byaligningtuitionfeeswithactualprogramcosts,the new model ensures a fairer distribution of financial resources across different programs and institutions.
• TargetedSupport:Thismodelallowsformoretargetedfinancialsupport toprogramsthatrequirehigherinvestments,suchasthoseinscience, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.

3)       SustainableFinancing

• Budget Alignment:Aligning tuition fees with actual costs ensures that universities can sustainably finance their programs without facing significant budget shortfalls.
• Enhanced Quality of Education: Adequate funding based on actual needs supports the maintenance and enhancement of educational quality, including the ability to attract and retain qualified faculty and improve facilities.

                   EnsuringEquitableAccess

This model aims to ensure equitable access to higher education by directly supportingstudentsbasedontheirfinancialneedsratherthanallocatingfunds to institutions. The shift from the previous block funding approach to a more individualized and needs-based funding mechanism is designed to address disparities and improve access to higher education for all eligible students.

Key Elements Ensuring Equitable Access

• MeansTestingInstrument(MTI)
  • Comprehensive Assessment: The MTI assesses the financial need of eachstudentbyconsideringarangeofsocio-economicindicatorssuch as household income, geographic location poverty probability index, special circumstances such as orphan and disability, the number of dependents, and more. This ensures that financial aid is distributed based on the financial status of the student.
  • Scientific Weighting: Indicators are scientifically weighted to ensure a fair and unbiased determination of need, promoting equity in the allocation of funds.

2)      DirectSupporttoStudents

• Targeted Financial Aid: Financial support is provided directly to students rather than institutions, ensuring that funds are used to meet the specific needs of each student.
• Scholarships and Loans: The model includes variable scholarships andloans,ensuring that the most financially needy students receive a higher allocation of scholarships and a lower loan amount. Conversely,students with lesser financial need will receive a higher loan amount and a lower allocation of scholarships.

3)      SpecialConsiderationforVulnerableGroups

• Support for Students with Disabilities and Orphans: The model gives absolute scores to students with disabilities and orphans,ensuring they receive the necessary financial support without any undue disadvantage.
• Affirmative Action: The funding model incorporates affirmative action measures to support marginalized and vulnerable groups, promoting inclusivity and equal opportunities for all students.

                   Level of Need

Categorization is based on the level of need which refers to the extent to which a student requires financial assistance to cover the cost of higher education. The level is determined by composite indicators which include but are not limited to, family structure and size, education expenditure, affirmative action and health expenditure.This results in categorization into five socio-economic tiers.

Household income refers to the total earnings received by members of a household. It includes wages,salary,pension,proceeds from farming,business, and investments among others. The different household economic levels represent broad household estimated income brackets(KNBSEconomicSurvey, 2020) as outlined below:

1. Level-1:This group includes estimated household income of below KShs.5,995 per month.
2. Level-2: This group includes estimated household income of between KShs.5,995 to KShs.23,670 per month.
3. Level-3: This group includes estimated household income between KShs.23,671 and KShs.70,000 per month
4. Level-4: Thisgrouprepresentsestimatedhouseholdincomeofbetween KShs.70,001 and KShs.119,999 per month.
5. Level-5: This group represents estimated household income above KShs.120,000permonth.

The above socio-economic tiers have been formulated into five bands based on the assessed household income using the MTI as shown in Table 1.

Below is a simulation of the implication of categorization in various levels of need (Bands).

Table2: Funding simulation for a student categorized in band 1

Table3: Funding simulation for a student categorized in band 2

Table4: Funding simulation for a student categorized in band 3

 Table5: Funding simulation for a student categorized in band 4

 Table6: Funding simulation for a student categorized in band 5