- University students are demanding the release of Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) funds ahead of their upcoming exams, fearing they may miss out due to unpaid fees
- Many students have not received their funds for both tuition and upkeep, leaving them financially stranded as they prepare for exams
- Students are also raising concerns over the legality and fairness of the New Funding Model (NFM), with some unable to enroll in university
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The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) is facing criticism from university students who are calling for the urgent release of funds ahead of their exams, which are set to begin next week.
Exams in most universities are set to begin next week after they were carried forward following the lecturers' nationwide strike in 2024.
Many students are however grappling with the possibility of being locked out due to unpaid school fees, which they have been unable to settle because of delayed HELB disbursements.
Joshua Luteti, a student at the University of Nairobi, voiced his frustration stating that he may miss the exams if the situation isn't addressed.
"I have not paid my fees, and the exams are due by January 20. We all know that we cannot sit for exams without being registered. We are urging the HELB CEO to release the funds so we can continue with our education," he said.
Luteti also talked of the financial struggles faced by many students, particularly with regard to their upkeep.
"Students are really suffering. Many of us are just staying in our hostel rooms because we have no money for basic needs," he added.
Students criticise HELB's new funding model
In addition to the delay in funding, students are calling on the Ministry of Education to clarify the fate of first and second-year students, whose enrollment has been thrown into uncertainty following the court's declaration that the New Funding Model (NFM) is illegal.
Several students have yet to join university, while others have been forced to change courses due to confusion surrounding the new funding system.
Madzayo Rocha, the chairperson of the University of Nairobi Students' Organization (SONU), expressed concerns about the students affected by the NFM disruptions.
"I spoke with the Dean of Students in my faculty, and she confirmed that around 500 students in the faculty did not manage to join university because of the issues with the new funding model," Rocha said.
Many students have criticized the NFM, calling for a return to the previous funding system.
"The old model was much better because it treated all students equally. There were fewer instances of fundraisers to cover tuition fees. But with the NFM, almost every week, you are added to fundraising groups," said Jiseph Mwaniki, a University of Nairobi student.
Mwaniki further criticised the placement of vulnerable students in higher funding bands under the NFM.
"Students from poor backgrounds, who should be placed in the lower bands, are instead placed in bands 4 and 5, which require them to pay higher fees. How can we expect these students to afford the fees? If this is the situation now, what will happen 10 or 15 years from now?" he asked.
Crisis looms as more students qualify for university
The students’ concerns comes as crisis is expected in universities, following a notable increase in the number of students from the 2024 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) cohort who qualified for university slots.
In the 2024 results, 246,391 candidates scored a C+ or above, representing a 3% increase from the previous year.
Education CS Julius Ogamba attributed the improvement to the revised grading criteria.
Proofreading by Otukho Jackson, a multimedia journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke
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