Higher Education News

Higher Education News We are a trusted companion on your journey through university and beyond. We are a valuable companion on your journey through university and beyond. for support.

We share real student stories to inspire, educate & uncover the hidden rot in our institutions.

✍🏿: DM, we lost access to our email.

🚮: https://forms.gle/bTB5QkEt6oRmcU8F7 We’re here to support you with guidance on career choices, updates on education-related news and events, jobs, scholarships and helpful tips to succeed in college or campus life. Whether you're navigating academics or explor

ing opportunities, you’re not alone—we grow and thrive together. NB : We do not offer support services. For support, please write to [email protected] or [email protected].

06/08/2026

Kuwakumbusha tu!

If you have been placed in a private university, a university TVET, KMTC, or a TVET that is not under the Ministry of Education, you will NOT qualify for a government scholarship under the current funding framework.

You may, however, benefit if the proposed new funding model is implemented from September 2026, as has been proposed.

That said, this should not be a major concern if you have been admitted to a private institution with affordable tuition. For example, Kenya Highlands University charges fees that, for many programmes, are relatively comparable to what government-sponsored students pay in public universities.

Course transfer is ongoing. Always compare the total cost of your programme before making your final decision.

We rarely write about university councils on this page, but if there is one team that deserves recognition, it is the Ch...
06/08/2026

We rarely write about university councils on this page, but if there is one team that deserves recognition, it is the Chuka University Council, chaired by Prof. David Serem.

Since this Council was sworn in, the University has achieved remarkable milestones :

1. Annual Student enrolment has grown from fewer than 5,000 students in 2023 to admitting ~ 8,000, placing Chuka University among Kenya's top five universities by student enrolment. In 2026 alone, admissions grew by more than 25%.

2. The University continues to secure major international research and development grants at an unprecedented pace. Most recently, Chuka University joined an international consortium that won an Erasmus+ grant worth approximately KSh 170 million to support digital transformation and higher education reforms in Kenya and Tanzania.

3. The University's remarkable infrastructure, arguably among the most impressive in Kenya, continues to strengthen its reputation on the global stage. This has been complemented by the growing number of international conferences and academic engagements hosted by the institution.

4. Investments in technology have significantly improved the student experience through reliable digital services, efficient systems, and minimal disruption to the academic calendar.

These achievements point to a University Council that has provided strong strategic leadership, strengthened governance, expanded local and international partnerships, enhanced the University's research profile, and advanced its long-term financial sustainability through increased internally generated revenue.

For these reasons, we believe the members of this Council deserve their flowers 🌹🌹 . Their leadership has played a significant role in positioning the University among Kenya's fastest-rising public universities.

P.S : We added the flowers to the photo, they've earned them.

06/08/2026

Your government is planning to fund your education by selling education bonds to investors, allowing them to earn billions in interest over time.

This is how it will work :

✅ Expected budget of KSh 100 billion annually.

✅ Funding will come from the government, investors, parents, graduates, and development partners, rather than relying mainly on taxpayer allocations.

✅ The largest share of the funding will be raised through education bonds sold to investors.

✅ Investors would finance students upfront, earn periodic interest, and recover their principal at maturity, similar to the financing model used for roads and ports.

✅ The programme would be managed through investment banking and Treasury functions under a governing board, regulated by the Capital Markets Authority.

✅ The annual KSh 100 billion allocation would be ring-fenced from budget cuts to strengthen investor confidence.

✅ Most government-sponsored students would receive loans based on their course of study and the demand for those skills in the job market.

✅ Additiona funding would come from a voluntary parental savings scheme listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange and managed by professional fund managers, improved HELB loan recoveries, income-contingent graduate repayments linked to earnings rather than fixed schedules, and concessional loans from development partners.

✅ The proposal draws heavily from Malaysia's higher education financing model.

Education CS Julius Ogamba has urged Parliament to fast-track the legislation ahead of the September 2026 university intake, when the universal funding model is expected to take effect and every eligible student would receive 100% government financial support through loans.

It is worth noting that students already in the system would remain under the existing funding arrangements.

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has raised concerns on the floor of the Senate over the failure to place the 47 inaugural B...
06/08/2026

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has raised concerns on the floor of the Senate over the failure to place the 47 inaugural Bachelor of Science in Nursing graduates from Kibabii University on the mandatory internship programme, despite all of them passing the Nursing Council licensing examinations.

Ironically, the loudest voice fighting for these graduates is not their own university.

Perhaps the university administration is too busy working on succession of the new VC to notice their graduates also need internships to begin their careers. Honestly, if they could miss the end of a VC's tenure, maybe missing 47 qualified nurses isn't considered a big deal either.

The students did their part. They completed their studies, passed their licensing exams, and met the requirements. The least they deserve is an institution willing to stand up for them.

06/08/2026

What exactly do doctors and nurses learn in medical school if they are not first taught compassion, humanity, and how to respond to emergencies?

This heartbreaking incident is the consequences of the villagerization of medical education.

06/08/2026

This morning, while passing through the Westlands–JW Marriott stretch in Nairobi, it was disturbing to see Chinese supervisors overseeing the construction of what appeared to be a simple drainage system, .... work that many certificate students from our TVET institutions are trained to handle.

It left us wondering: where will our engineering graduates find opportunities if we continue importing foreign expertise for even basic engineering supervision? More importantly, how will young engineers gain the experience they need if they are never trusted with responsibilities such as supervision?

If you're an engineering student, make the most of your time on campus. Build practical skills, seek hands-on experience, and keep upskilling. The job market is highly competitive, and you'll need every advantage you can get.

Otherwise, utaona moto 🥵🧑🏿‍🚒

06/08/2026

Additional updates on the proposed Higher Education Financing Model:

✅ All eligible students will receive 100% funding exclusively in the form of loans.

✅ A savings scheme will be introduced, allowing parents to save towards their children's university education.

✅ Beneficiaries will begin repaying their loans one year after securing employment.

✅ Graduates will be required to notify their employers of their loan obligations to enable direct salary deductions.

✅ Those working in the informal sector will negotiate repayment plans directly with the new funding authority.

✅ Loan deductions will be capped at a maximum of 25% of a beneficiary's earnings, compared to the current 4%.

✅ The new funding authority will have the power to take legal action against persistent loan defaulters to recover outstanding balances.

✅ Unlike the current system, graduates who temporarily stop repaying their loans due to unemployment will not be penalized.

We need to start a university students' association, and another one for college students. Then claim we have 20,000 stu...
06/08/2026

We need to start a university students' association, and another one for college students. Then claim we have 20,000 students backing a two-term agenda.

If we make it to State House, everyone gets a KSh 10,000 allowance. You can then use that money to clear part of the household fees.

Nani ako ndani?

06/08/2026

The idea of awarding scholarships to a few students based solely on their background while claiming that every student will receive loans sufficient to cover 100% of their education is discriminatory and should to be challenged in court.

If it is true that every student can access loans that FULLY finance their university education, why should some receive scholarships while others are left to graduate with a heavier debt burden, even though they earn the same degree and compete in the same job market?

Isn't the assumption that after graduation everyone has a chance to secure employment and repay the loans?

06/08/2026

There is nothing inherently wrong with the proposed university funding model. The reality is that the government is no longer in a position to fully fund university education. Around the world, the standard approach is for public universities to charge the actual cost of education, while governments ensure students have access to affordable loans.

The assumption is simple: if the education is valuable and relevant, graduates should be able to secure employment or create their own opportunities, enabling them to repay their loans over time.

However, this model will definitely FAIL in Kenya because of the country's persistently high unemployment rate.

The biggest risk is that the loan fund would become unsustainable within less than 5 years because recovering even 10% of the money lent to many graduating cohorts would be extremely difficult. The government would eventually face an even bigger financial crisis than it does today with HELB, where more than KSh 100 billion in loans remain unrecovered.

Considering that the government is aware about this risk, we can reasonably predict that if President Ruto is re-elected, in 2028 the government will again modify the proposed model and revert to the current student model without scholarships.

Under such a system, university funding would depend entirely on a student's level of financial need. If your course costs KSh 200,000, for example, your household would be required to make a mandatory contribution based on its assessed ability to pay, while the remaining amount would be covered through a loan. There would be no scholarship.

The objective would be to reduce the financial risk facing HELB by shifting more of the cost to households that can afford to contribute, while limiting the government's long-term exposure to loan defaults.

Address

Moi Avenue
Nairobi
00400

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Higher Education News posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The School

Send a message to Higher Education News:

Shortcuts

Share

Category