Fees reprieve as 650,000 shun varsities, colleges

Parents whose children will join universities this year will get major fees reprieve as the government announced reduction up to 40 per cent.

This even as it emerged that more than 650,000 candidates who sat last year’s KCSE snubbed university and college places.

The fees reduction signals a shake-up in the new funding model that has been a subject of major debate due to high fees and student loans.

According to Education CS Julius Ogamba, Medicine, one of the most expensive programme, will have the biggest reduction.

Presently, the course fees range between Sh612,000 and Sh480,000. An analysis by the Kenya University and Colleges Central Placement Service shows Medicine students at Kenyatta, JKUAT, Maseno and Moi pay the highest fees of Sh612,000 for their first year.

However, cheaper options for a student seeking to pursue Medicine are offered in Egerton and Masinde Muliro universities at Sh337,940 and Sh306,000, half the cost at Kenyatta, JKUAT, Maseno and Moi universities.

Dr Ogamba said universities charging the highest will be the most affected. “The rationalisation of fees in various programmes will be effective in September and courses such as medicine which demanded the highest tuition fees have now been rationalised,” said the CS yesterday during the release of the placement results for the 2024 KCSE class.

The ministry is yet to announce the new fees.

At the same time, the CS announced the expansion of parametres used to assess a students level of need. Under the revised Means Testing Instrument (MTI), students will now be assessed on criteria such as family income history, land ownership, previous school fee payment patterns, medical expenses, Hustler Fund applications, and sponsorship status.

This means that the government will trace the amount paid by students over the years to determine their level of need.

What is, however, shocking is data from KUCCPS that reveals that thousands of candidates have shown no interest in joining university, college, or vocational training.

Out of the 965,501 students who sat last year’s KCSE examination, only 310,502—less than a third—have secured placement into universities and colleges. 

Ogamba announced that universities and colleges have a capacity of 983,137 to admit this year’s candidates. It is hoped that the fee reduction would attract more students.

It also emerged that Medicine, Engineering, Nursing and Education were the most popular courses.

First year fees for a degree in Dental surgery—which is only offered in two institutions— is also Sh612,000 in Moi University and Sh512,050 at the University of Nairobi.

Architecture costs Sh367,200 at the JKUAT, with University of Nairobi charging first-year students Sh347,650, Kenyatta University Sh306,000 and Technical University of Kenya Sh288,000.

Tuition fees for Bachelor of Pharmacy, offered in eight private and public universities, is pegged at about Sh492,660 at JKUAT while Maseno and Kenyatta charge Sh428,400 for their first year.

Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine, which is offered in only two universities, costs Sh442,850 at Nairobi and Sh312,340 at Egerton.

Engineering programmes are also among the most priced courses. At the University of Nairobi, for example, a first-year student goes for Sh374,850 for its Civil, Electrical and Electronic Engineering programme.

In an attempt to rectify the opposition facing the new funding model, Ogamba announced fee reduction on university programs under the new funding model

Changes in University Fees Structure will see some programs now have up to 40 percent reduction in fees.