The Ministry of Education has extended the application window for tertiary education funding, giving eligible first-time university students and TVET trainees more time to submit their applications.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba in a statement issued on Thursday, September 3 said the Universities Fund and the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) had been directed to extend the application period for all eligible applicants.
CS Ogamba said the extension was necessary after recognising that some eligible students and trainees had failed to apply within the initial period for various reasons.
CS Ogamba Extends University and TVET Funding Application Deadline to September 21
The extended window will run until September 21, 2026.
“Recognizing that some eligible students and trainees may not have met the initial deadline on account of various causes, the Universities Fund and the Higher Education Loans Board have been directed to extend the application window for all eligible applicants to 21st September, 2026,” he wrote.
“All eligible first time applicants in universities and TVETs are invited to promptly apply for funding within this extended window.”
The initial application window lapsed on August 31, 2026.
As of the deadline, the government had received 789,422 applications for funding from university students and TVET trainees.
The government has also disbursed KSh22.12 billion in first semester and term funding to continuing university students and TVET trainees.
Also Read:Â New University Funding Model: How Investors Will Finance Students Through Bonds
Ministry Maintains Current Funding Model for First-Time Applicants
The Cabinet Secretary further clarified that funding applications by first-time applicants would continue to be assessed under the current Student-Centred Funding Model.
He said transitional arrangements would later be introduced under the Universal Access and Funding Framework once Parliament passes the Tertiary Education Placement and Funding Bill, 2026.
“For the avoidance of doubt, it is notified for the general information of the public that applications for funding for first time applicants will be considered and processed in accordance with the current Student-Centred Funding Model,” Ogamba stated.
“Appropriate transitional mechanisms to the Universal Access and Funding Framework shall be implemented once Parliament passes the Tertiary Education Placement and Funding Bill, 2026,” he added. Â
Also Read: How Students Will Repay Loans Under Proposed University Funding Model      Â
Proposed Tertiary Education Funding Changes Under Review
The announcement comes as Parliament considers the Tertiary Education, Placement and Funding Bill, 2026, which seeks to overhaul the way students are placed and financed in universities and other tertiary institutions.
It seeks to replace the current Student-Centred Funding Model (SCFM), which was introduced in May 2024 to allocate scholarships and loans based on a student’s level of financial need.
Under the existing model, students are assessed using a Needs Assessment Tool (NAT) before being placed into funding bands.
The Universities Fund then provides scholarships covering between 30 and 70 per cent of tuition costs, while the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) finances the remaining fees and offers upkeep loans.
However, the Ministry of Education now wants to merge all tertiary education financing into a single fund that will provide students with full funding exclusively in the form of loans.
The proposed law seeks to restructure higher education financing by merging the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB), the Universities Fund Board (UFB) and the TVET Funding Board (TVETFB) into a single body to be known as the Tertiary Education Funding Authority (TEFA).
If enacted, TEFA will oversee the management of higher education funding, scholarships and student loans.
Follow our WhatsApp Channel and X Account for real-time ne
