Parents to Receives Fees Refund Paid to Universities

In a recent development, parents who eagerly paid university enrollment fees for their children have been granted the option to receive refunds from their respective institutions.

This move comes as Vice Chancellors across Kenya make it clear that no parent or student was forced into making these payments; instead, they were entirely voluntary acts of support.

However, students reported instances where some institutions still denied admission to those who had not paid the equivalent of seven percent of their tuition fees. Professor Mugendi clarified that under the new funding model, newly admitted first-year students in public universities were exempt from paying tuition fees until the Higher Education Fund, comprising the Universities Fund and HELB, finalizes their categorization.

Providing insight into the ongoing admissions, the Vice Chancellors’ Committee shared that Kenyatta University has successfully admitted 7,752 out of 7,979 candidates placed by KUCCPS. Kisii University, too, has welcomed 7,160 out of 8,670 applicants, while Moi University has opened its doors to 4,103 out of 5,480 applicants.

Professor Mugendi also suggested that students in need of additional services such as housing could pay for those amenities. Furthermore, he encouraged guardians to consider temporarily supporting students with accommodation and meals while awaiting the completion of the categorization process.

In terms of government aid, data from University Funding revealed that approximately 109,100 university students have applied for government scholarships, loans, or both. Surprisingly, 31,007 students are yet to apply for government aid. Additionally, 53,736 students enrolled in TVET institutions have sought government funding.