Why C+ KCSE students might miss out on government funding

More than 80,000 students who sat for their KCSE exams and attained a grade C+ are facing an uncertain future following a new recommendation by the Universities Fund regarding financing for higher education.

The fund has recommended that government funding for higher education should no longer be mandatory but based on affirmative action, merit, level of need, and national priorities. 

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According to the University Fund CEO Geofrey Monary, they will look at the merit, which includes what they got in KCSE exams, and need-based on their locations. 

"We have looked at merit in terms of what you got in the university, need-based like If you come from Bungoma and you are very poor, using the criteria HELB uses, then we will take and fund only 81,000 students and leave out 91,000 students", Said Geoffrey Monary.

This recommendation has caused concern among students who scored the C+ grades. They will no longer be guaranteed state funding as was the norm.

Public universities in Kenya are already struggling with financial woes, making it difficult to stay afloat on administrative matters and tuition for government-sponsored learners.

The proposed change in funding would mean that even students who can afford the fees will pay more for higher education.

READ: Investigation launched into 2022 KCSE results

The number of students meeting the cut-off mark of C+ has been steadily rising over the years.

A total of 123,963 are waiting to be placed this year, an increase from 122,831 students recorded in 2020.

Previously, the government automatically allocated funds for each student admitted to public universities. This is, however, set to change if the recommendations from the just-concluded universities funding conference are passed.

The new funding model proposed by the Universities Fund and the presidential working party on education reforms seeks to change the placement criteria from enrollment numbers to the four major things.

READ: Breakdown of all grades scored in the 2022 KCSE exam results

While the government has justified this shift in funding to enable needy students to access higher education, there are still concerns that many students could be locked out of the chance to further their education.