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Speaking on Tuesday during the presentation of a proposal on Kenya's long-term national development vision beyond Vision 2030 at State House, Nairobi, Ruto said the government had abandoned previous university funding approaches after they failed to adequately support institutions and students.
HELB has warned Parliament that Kenya’s student financing programme is likely to face a projected Sh57.65 billion deficit in FY2026/27, citing demand under the Student-Centred Funding Model that exceeds available budget allocations.
The funding model, rolled out after President William Ruto took office, is now facing its toughest challenge since its introduction. Official figures show university admissions have grown from about 70,000 students in 2017 to 202,133 placed this year, an increase of more than 300 per cent in less than a decade.
HELB called on applicants to submit their requests as early as possible and carefully follow the application guidelines to help ensure their applications are processed without unnecessary delays.
Candidates will access their placement details through the KUCCPS portal using their KCSE index numbers. Once they confirm their placements, universities and colleges will begin issuing admission letters and joining instructions.
The allocation is part of ongoing efforts to expand access to higher education and will benefit students admitted to public universities in 2023, 2024, and 2025
At the University of Nairobi, government funding reduced from Sh2.44 billion in 2023/2024 to Sh947.8 million in 2024/2025, before falling further to Sh534.79 million in 2025/2026.
Appearing before the Senate Committee on National Cohesion, Equal Opportunity, and Regional Integration, chaired by Mohamed Said Chute, HELB CEO Geoffrey Monari said the institution is making progress but acknowledged that challenges remain.
HELB received only Sh4.1 billion of the Sh10 billion requested for student loans, while the TVET department got Sh3 billion of the Sh29 billion it needed for scholarships
HELB also clarified that it does not require job applicants to pay any fees, submit medical reports, or provide any documents outside of what is clearly outlined in official job advertisements.
Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi said the proposal includes increasing funding to the Higher Education Loans Board from the current Sh41 billion to Sh58 billion, alongside a sharp rise in scholarship funding.
Kindiki said the State is taking urgent steps to integrate KMTC trainees into the national student financing model.