New varsity funding plan a burden to graduates – UASU

The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) has raised questions over the new funding model, saying it will bring more chaos to institutions of higher learning if not keenly scrutinised.

According to the Secretary General Constantine Wasonga, the funding model will overburden students and by the time they finish their higher education, they will have huge loans to pay.

“What the government is saying is that if your course is worth about Sh700,000, it is ready to give you a loan through HELB and by the time you finish you will have over Sh3 million. The new funding model will be a burden to students after finishing university education. Imagine you leave with over Sh2 million loan so you start to work and also start paying loan… you will pay the loan forever,” Wasonga said.

He made the remarks last week during an Elimu Bora working group forum at a Nairobi hotel.

“UASU has not given that model a clean bill of health. Prepare for chaos,” he warned.

He, however, said UASU is studying this model because they first want to see how the Kenya Universities and Colleges Placement Service (KUCCPS) places students to universities and colleges.

Similarly, Wasonga said the union is keen to understand how the Government intends to disburse these funds, whether monthly, quarterly or yearly.

New model

“If it is disbursed quarterly where will the universities get money to pay their staff? We are foreseeing a situation whereby if this capitation is stopped, it means universities will be waiting for money from Government to pay their staff and that is why we are saying there will be chaos if the funds are not released as capitation monthly,” he stated.

Wasonga also said UASU cannot still understand how the new funding model was arrived at.

According to him, the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms (PWPER) first presented their interim report where they proposed that the Differentiated Unit Cost (DUC) be funded at 80 per cent but we sent back to the drawing board and came up with the new model.

“What we are wondering is – when they presented the first draft, where did they get those views from and now this second draft, did they go back to the people?

Where did they get it from and the matrix they are using, was it subjected to public participation? What will happen to personnel emoluments? Are staff in universities going to be paid from fees generated from this model?” he posed.

Enough funds

Supposing a university does not attract enough funds or students, UASU also questioned what will happen to such institutions.

 And since the model will only cater for first years who will join in September, the union said it is not clear on what will happen to the continuing group of students because the Government acknowledges that they have been underfunding DUC.

“Will the Government continue underfunding the continuing students, which has given rise to a pending bill of about Sh61 billion?” he wondered.