Geoffrey Monari, CEO of the Universities Fund, attributed the incorrect banding of university students to false information, laxity, and inadequate network infrastructure.
He stressed the importance of accurate data in the re-categorization process, which heavily relies on the socio-economic details applicants provide. This process will also factor in affirmative action measures, socio-demographic characteristics, and family education expenses to determine final funding bands.
“Food security is currently a top priority in this country, so students enrolled in agriculture-related courses have a high chance of being placed in the first funding band,” Monari explained. He also mentioned that students from families with parents who have disabilities, chronic illnesses, or extended family dependents are classified as needy.
Since the Higher Education Portal opened, the fund has received 134,029 applications for loans and scholarships, out of which 127,591 have been approved. These students were placed into different financing bands based on their needs, aiming to ensure fair allocation of funding and prioritizing those who are most financially vulnerable.
Monari acknowledged that some students were not satisfied with their initial placement. Approximately 12,000 students have filed appeals, believing they were unfairly categorized.
“We have received numerous appeals from Kenyans concerned about the bands they were placed in,” Monari said. The fund has reviewed nearly 1,000 appeals and made adjustments to funding bands for students found to be in genuine need.
He explained that the government’s multi-agency approach, involving collaboration with the National Educational Management Information System (NEMIS), the Kenya Revenue Authority, and the Ministry of Interior, aims to enhance transparency, efficiency, and accountability in the university financing system.
“We validated the information provided by students with other institutions. Seventy percent of the applicants claimed zero income. However, upon validation, we found that many of them were actually earning more,” Monari explained.
He urged students who believe they were incorrectly banded to log into the Higher Education Financing portal and reapply, ensuring accurate information for a fair assessment.
