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Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu has said disbursements for first year university and TVETs students will start next week to facilitate a seamless learning process.

On Wednesday, Machogu said 238,714 applications had been submitted. A total of 269,112 students were placed by Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) to Universities and TVET institutions and were eligible for government funding, which means that 3,608 and 26,790 students placed in universities and TVET institutions respectively are yet to apply.

The CS said 136,539 applications for undergraduate studies have so far been made against an expected 140,147 while in TVETs, 102,000 students had applied out of the expected 128,000.

Machogu urged those who are yet to apply to do it before tomorrow’s deadline.

“University education is accessible to all and no student will miss to join university for failing to raise school fees. We are disbursing the money because we have done analysis and shared the figures with the National Treasury,” said Machogu, in a press conference held at the Ministry’s headquarters yesterday.

He was accompanied by Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura and Chief executives of Universities Fund, KUCCPS and Higher Education Loans Board Geoffrey Monari, Mercy Wahome and Charles Ringera respectively.

The new funding model applies only to the first year students with continuing ones expected to continue with the old Differentiated Unit Cost.

Machogu said the number of new entrants is expected to rise after KUCCPS validates the data of students who have transferred to different degree programmes or universities.

“The Government wishes to assure students, parents, guardians and the higher education institutions that all efforts are being made to ensure that the loans and scholarships are released to applicants on time to facilitate their learning activities,” said Machogu.