A new funding model for students in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (Tvet) institutions will be ready before Christmas.

Dr. Esther Thaara Muoria, Principal Secretary of Tvet, revealed that the new model, will differ from the university model.

Speaking at Taita Taveta National Polytechnic (TTNP) in Voi town yesterday, Dr. Muoria announced that the new funding model will guarantee Sh85,000 for all Tvet students.

Dr. Muoria was at TTNP to commission a gemology workshop funded by the MasterCard Foundation, Colleges and Institutions Canada (CiCAN), and the Ministry of Education, through the Young African Works in Kenya Tvet programme. The laboratory, which cost more than Sh47 million, currently enrolls 34 students, though the required number is 200.

“With this new equipment, the TTNP is equipped to produce graduates who can meet the global standards in the gemology industry.  This is an exciting step forward for the Tvet sector,” she said.

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The PS was accompanied by Governor Andrew Mwadime and Voi MP Abdi Chome.

The New Higher Education Funding model, introduced in May 2023 as part of President William Ruto’s education reforms, has faced resistance, with university students and lecturers staging protests.

While the President says the model will help government funding reach students from low-income families, its rollout has been criticized for being opaque and unfair.

The model categorises students into five bands based on perceived financial needs. Band 1 students, from families earning less than Sh54,000, receive a 70 per cent government scholarship, 25 er cent in loans, and an additional Sh5,400 for upkeep.

Band 2 students receive a 60per cent scholarship, 30per cent loan, and a Sh52,272 upkeep loan.

In Band 3, the government scholarship covers 50 per cent, and students receive a 30 per cent loan and a Sh47,620 upkeep loan, with families contributing 20 per cent.

Band 4 students get a 40 percent scholarship, 30 per cent loan, and families contribute 30 per cent. In Band 5, students receive just 30 per cent in scholarships and loans.

Dr. Muoria, however, announced that under the new Tvet funding model, all Tvet students will receive an annual scholarship of Sh85,000.

She said that the government was also assessing Tvet institutions that can be upgraded into national polytechnics.

The PS expressed concern over the low enrollment at TTNP, which currently stands at 3,415 students. To be considered a national polytechnic, TTNP must enroll around 5,000 students.

 “Why did we make Voi Tvet institution a National Polytechnic yet it has low enrollment? The low number of students in the technical institution is badly affecting its funding by the government,” Dr Muoria told the governor and the MP.

She added: “We cannot continue having the low number of students in the TTNP and the local leadership is quiet. The leadership must ensure the enrollment rate meets the required threshold of 5,000 students and attract more funding from the government and development partners.”