Reading Time: 2 minutesMany Student entering universities and technical education institution find the new funding model. In May 2023, President William Ruto introduced a new model where government higher education funds are allocated directly to student base on specific criteria. In addition, Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu, introduce the Higher Education Financing (HEF) Portal on July 31, 2023.This portal will allow students to apply for scholarships, loans and bursaries on an individual basis shortly after receiving their admission letters. However, there are question about how to apply for the government scholarship and who will receive it. This leads to a clarification. One need to be a Kenyan and a candidate who took KCSE exams in 2022 to qualified for the scholarship. This is as per University Fund Kenya. Moreover, the individual should have been accepted by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUPPS) to pursue an undergraduate, diploma, craft certificate or artisan course at an accredited public university or TVET college in Kenya. Students who have taken their KCSE from 2022 onwards will be eligible for scholarship. Upon confirming eligibility, applicants should visit https://www.hef.co.ke to apply. They must follow a provided checklist of requirements outline below: Read Also: Applicants should prepare a valid email address, registered phone number under their name, KCSE and KCSE index numbers along with the exam year, their College/University admission letter, and if applicable, a sponsorship letter from secondary school. In order to apply for help with education cost, you will need a few documents which include the phone numbers of your parent or guardian, your own ID number, your picture, birth certificate and a photo ID. If your parents are deceased, you will be required to provide their death certificate. For loan application, you’ll have to share the IDs and phone numbers of your two guarantors. Here is how you will apply: Sign up or login to the website, share personal information, and upload the document required. You can also choose to apply for scholarship or loan and submit application. After you submit, you’ll get a response within a month. If approved, text message will be send to you. Remember, if you are going to joint a private university, you cannot get free money from the government scholarship fund. But you can still qualify for loan through the Higher Education Loan Board (HELP). Continuing Student won’t be affected by the new way of giving out money. They’ll keep getting money based on the old system. The distribution of fund will be based on how much a family earns per month. There are Four groups: Those who really need help, those who need help, those who kinda need help and those who need the least help. If you really need help or need a lot of help, the government will give you all the money you need for your education. Part of it as a loan and other as scholarship. If you need a bit of help or not much help, the government will give you 93% of the money and the remaining 7% you will cover . There is good news for students who finished high school in 2022. More than 45,000 university students and 42,000 Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) students who really need support will get scholarship and loan from the government. Make sure to apply before August 31. This way, you will get your loan in September, when school starts.
