Universities raise tuition fees under proposed reforms as KUCCPS delays placement of students in universities. Starting this academic year, tuition fees in Kenyan public universities will vary depending on the institution a student attends. The country’s universities are now facing a funding problem that the new model is supposed to alleviate.
The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) will put the model into practice when placing candidates who passed the KCSE examination in 2022.
Universities will be forced to publish their tuition fees in advance for each program so that students can choose programs with an understanding of the costs involved.
The President’s Task Force on Education Reform has completed its interim report, and a comprehensive report is expected in about a month. Although the exact amount has not yet been determined, the team recommended sweeping changes to the way higher education is funded, including an increase in university tuition fees.
Currently, the government covers 48% of the cost of the program, while the student is responsible for the remaining 20%. Under the new approach, the government will offer a single capitation and families will be responsible for making up the shortfall.
This strategy is to fill the funding deficit caused by the fact that the tuition fee for students has been KES 16,000 per year for more than 30 years.
In accordance with this idea, the proposal of the vice-chancellors of public universities of the education reform team is to introduce variable tuition fees. They advised students to pay between KES 24,000 to 52,000 as a fee.
The University Fund estimates that the cost of a Bachelor of Dentistry degree is KES 720,000, while the cost of a Bachelor of Arts degree is KES 144,000. University tuition rates may be higher than those listed by UF.
The cost of employing lecturers, purchasing tools, operating laboratories and purchasing teaching materials all depend on the cost of the program. Depending on where colleges are located, students may pay more for living expenses such as housing and food.
City dwellers who attend school in places like Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu and Nakuru have to pay more. The use of the computer, textbooks and stationery are at an additional cost.
The Universities Fund is investing KES 48 million in a biometric student registration system to ensure accuracy. Students’ progress will be monitored by universities, and those who repeat units will have to pay their own costs without government help.
In general, the new variable tuition fee structure is meant to address the budget crisis of Kenya’s public universities. Families will now be responsible for covering the difference between the government’s universal cap and the actual cost of tuition fees, as students will now pay different amounts depending on the university they attend.
The cost of recruiting lecturers, purchasing laboratory space, equipment and instructional materials, among other things, will affect how much academic programs cost. The biometric method of student registration will ensure accuracy in tracking financial records and academic progress.
