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Private universities say they were involved in discussions on the new funding model for institutions of higher learning.

Some 35 private universities under the Kenya Association of Private Universities (KAPU) said in a public notice welcomed President William Ruto’s decision to involve all stakeholders involved in addressing the matter of funding and financing of university education.

In the notice signed by KAPU Chairperson Prof Stephen Ngari, the universities said all students will be placed into both public and private institutions in line with their academic choices.

He also said the courses offered in both public and private universities will be available on the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) portal for selection by all students.

Student placement

“The government has delinked student placement by KUCCPS from funding. Under the new model, students placed in private universities will receive government support by accessing HELB loans,” he said.

He assured that private universities will continue to offer affordable, accessible, high quality, predictable and value based education and research that develops the whole individual in pristine, cosmopolitan and environments.

Ngari also said the institutions continue to develop and train highly skilled and well nurtured graduates who are not only employed locally and globally but also have established businesses that employ many Kenyans.

“Private universities will continue to engage with all stakeholders to ensure continued high employability rates for our graduates,” added Ngari.

KUCCPS has now opened its portal to allow learners who sat the 2022 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) pick their courses of choice for placement.

Minimum university entry

All the 173,127 candidates who attained the minimum university entry grade of C+ in the 2022 KCSE exam qualify to be placed to degree programmes while those with C (plain) and below will be absorbed in TVET institutions across the country.

Placed students will also have the opportunity to apply for loans from the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB), which will be allocated upon using a foolproof method, Means Testing Instrument (MTI).

KUCCPS received programmes and capacities from 39 public universities, 33 private universities, 3 Secondary Teachers Training Colleges and 205 public TVET colleges for the 2023/2024 placement cycle.

These institutions offer programmes ranging from degree, diploma, Craft certificate as well as Artisan courses, depending on a student’s choice and performance at KCSE.

The 2022 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education candidates have until June 7 to either apply for placement or revise their courses. Students who will select courses in public universities will be eligible to access both the Government scholarships and loans, while those who will select private universities will be eligible for Government loans only.