Government entity that disburses scholarships and manages university funding in Kenya, recently recertified ISO 9001:2015 and allocated Ksh.30.8 billion for 2026/2027 scholarships.
… The reforms, contained in the Tertiary Education Placement and Funding Bill 2026, would also collapse HELB, the Universities Fund and the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Funding Board into a single Tertiary Education Funding Authority.Soi said the announcement bri …
… The Ksh.100 billion is the amalgamation of the existing allocations of Ksh.56 billion to HELB, Ksh.30 billion to the Universities Fund and Ksh.9.6 billion for TVET scholarships. …
… The proposed law seeks to consolidate various higher education funding agencies, including the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) and the Universities Fund, into a single body, the Tertiary Education Funding Authority (TEFA), which will oversee higher education financing. …
… The Principal Secretary said the shortfall had significantly reduced the Universities Fund’s ability to finance institutions at the levels required under the model. …
… She said the financing gap had reduced the Universities Fund's capacity to finance institutions at levels required under the Student-Centred Funding Model. …
… The committee, chaired by Vice Chairperson Eve Obara, made the recommendation after holding separate meetings with officials from the State Department for Higher Education, the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) and the Universities Fund during a review of the 2025/2026 Budget I …
NAIROBI, Kenya Jul 13 – The Universities Fund has urged the 202,133 students placed in public universities for the 2026/2027 academic year to apply for Government scholarships through the Higher Education Financing portal. …
2025 KCSE candidates urged to apply for scholarships as Ksh.30.8B allocated By Joseph Muia July 13, 2026 10:22 (EAT) Add as a Preferred Source on Google Follow us Follow on Whatsapp Follow on Google Follow on Twitter Acting Universities Fund CEO Dr. …
The Ministry of Education has extended the application period for the Universities Fund and Higher Education Loans Board to September 21, 2026, citing that some eligible students and trainees may have missed the August 31 deadline. The previous window received 789,422 applications, and the government has already disbursed Ksh.22.12 billion in first-semester funding to continuing university students and TVET trainees.
The Ministry of Education has extended the application period for the Universities Fund and Higher Education Loans Board to September 21, 2026, citing that some eligible students and trainees may have missed the August 31 deadline. The previous window received 789,422 applications, and the government has already disbursed Ksh.22.12 billion in first-semester funding to continuing university students and TVET trainees.
The government extended the application window for university and TVET funding for first-time students to September 21, 2026, after receiving 789,422 applications by the initial August 31 deadline. The extension was made to allow eligible students who missed the deadline for various reasons to apply.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has extended the application deadline for first-time university and TVET funding to September 21, giving students and trainees who missed the August 31 cutoff three additional weeks to apply for state support.
More than 159,551 first-year university students have completed applications for scholarships under Kenya's Student-Centred Funding Model by August 20, reflecting growing demand for government support as the country expands access to higher education.
More than 150,000 first-year university students have applied for scholarships under Kenya's Student-Centred Funding Model, with 159,551 students having completed Higher Education Financing Portal applications by August 20, reflecting growing demand for government support as the country expands access to higher education.
More than 42,000 students placed in public universities for degree programmes have not completed applications for Government funding through the Higher Education Financing portal, with only days remaining until the August 31 deadline to secure scholarships and loans.
The Education Cabinet Secretary confirmed that the government is reforming higher education funding to accommodate every eligible learner, as university admissions have increased by more than 300 per cent in less than a decade. The Universities Fund has disbursed scholarships worth Ksh.78 billion over the past three financial years as demand for higher education rises.
The Universities Fund has received ISO 9001:2015 recertification from the Kenya Bureau of Standards. The Fund's acting CEO said the certification affirms its commitment to transparency and accountability in managing university financing as student numbers grow.
As of August 20, 2026, 159,551 university students have completed funding applications through the Higher Education Financing Portal, with 150,403 including a scholarship component. A further 5,732 applications remained incomplete ahead of the deadline.
The National Assembly will consider six Bills proposing reforms across Kenya's education sector, targeting basic education governance, national assessments, curriculum development, teacher training, tertiary education funding and qualification recognition. The Bills, sponsored by the Leader of the Majority Party, have been committed to the Education Committee for consideration and public participation.
The government is moving toward a new higher education funding system that could leave graduates with significantly larger debts. The previous HELB allocation of about Sh40,000 annually in 2017 fell short of students' actual costs for tuition, accommodation, food, transport, and research.
The Ministry of Education is defending a proposed Tertiary Education Placement and Funding Bill that would ring-fence Ksh.100 billion in annual government grants for higher education, combining existing allocations to help achieve 100 per cent transition to institutions of higher learning. The ministry projects student numbers in higher education will double from 1.2 million to 2.4 million by 2030/2031, requiring total funding of Ksh.230 billion to be drawn from government grants, capital market borrowing, parent savings, student loan repayments and soft loans.
The National Assembly's Committee on Education has begun scrutinizing four proposed Bills aimed at implementing recommendations from the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform. The key legislation includes the Tertiary Education Placement and Funding Bill, which would merge tertiary education financing bodies and introduce a means-testing system for student support based on household income and financial need.
President William Ruto announced that changes to the university funding model are underway to fully fund all students who qualify for higher education. Meanwhile, students applying for funding through the existing system continue to face technical difficulties accessing KUCCPS and HELB portals, with some unable to revise their course choices.
President Ruto's Student-Centred Funding Model, introduced in September 2023 to address underfunding at public universities, is now facing chronic funding deficits as billions of shillings for scholarships, loans, and capitation remain unfunded. The government is preparing another overhaul of university financing after successive funding formulas have all been underfunded.
President William Ruto has announced a new plan to provide full government funding to every student admitted to a public university or college regardless of financial background. The proposal, presented as amendments before Parliament, marks the fourth shift in university financing under his administration in less than four years, following the Differentiated Unit Cost model and variations of the Student-Centred Funding Model.
Kenya's National Assembly Education Committee has called for coordinated action between Parliament, the National Treasury, and the Ministry of Education to address persistent funding challenges in the higher education sector, citing a mismatch between the Higher Education Funding Model framework and actual budget allocations.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba told Parliament that persistent delays in funding to schools, TVET institutions and universities stem from inadequate budget allocations and delayed releases by the National Treasury, rather than the Ministry withholding funds. He said the ministry submits funding requests on time and disburses funds immediately after receiving them, but the gap between the education sector's financial requirements and allocated resources is the core challenge.
The Universities Fund has urged 202,133 students placed in public universities for 2026/2027 to apply for government scholarships through the Higher Education Financing portal before the September 6 deadline. The Government has allocated KSh30.8 billion to the Universities Fund for scholarships in 2026/2027, up from KSh18.4 billion in the previous financial year.
The government has urged 2025 KCSE candidates placed in public universities to apply for scholarships under the Student-Centred Funding Model, with Ksh.30.8 billion allocated to support 202,133 students for the 2026/2027 academic year. Applications are open through the Higher Education Financing Portal until September 6.
Public universities are disbursing Sh4.2 billion to over 400,000 continuing undergraduates under the Student-Centred Funding Model, with total 2025/26 releases reaching Sh18.4 billion. The model is beginning to face strain from funding shortfalls as the number of government-sponsored students grows, with 270,715 newly qualified for placement this year.
The Universities Fund has released Sh4.2 billion in scholarships to public universities to support over 400,000 continuing undergraduate students under the Student-Centred Funding Model, raising the 2025/2026 financial year allocation from the National Treasury to Sh18.4 billion. The funds are meant to cover tuition fees for students who enrolled in universities in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
The government has released Ksh.4.2 billion in scholarships to public universities to support more than 400,000 continuing undergraduate students under the Student-Centred Funding Model, bringing the total 2025/2026 allocation to Ksh.18.4 billion.