Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Julius Ogamba has addressed reports about the university entry grade amid reports of a revision.
In a statement on February 27, Ogamba said the ministry is aware of the “erroneous reports” in sections of the media regarding the Government’s position on the admission to tertiary education and funding of the 2024 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) cohort.
CS Ogamba clarified that the government will not reinstate the cut-off points.
He stated that the university minimum entry requirement remains grade C+ in the KCSE and promised to ensure all qualified students enroll in degree programs.
“The Government has not re-introduced cut-off points for admission to university. The minimum admission requirement to university, which will apply to the 2024 KCSE cohort, is the Mean Grade of C+ (plus). Therefore, all the 246,391 students who attained the Mean Grade of C+ (plus) and above qualify for university admission,” Ogamba said.
Financing Students Who Attained University Entry Grade
Further, Ogamba dismissed reports stating that it would cost the state Ksh100 billion to fund the university education of the 2024 KCSE cohort.
He said the Ministry’s projection indicate that Ksh25.85 billion will be required to fund their education every year, if all the 246,391 candidates join university.
“The projection of Ksh100 billion will be the total cost over a four-year period,” Ogamba said.
“We are steadfast in our commitment to providing quality and relevant education and training through a system that is inclusive, accessible and equitable, and we will continue to work with all stakeholders in that regard.”
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In his speech during the Second Biennial Conference on Higher Education Funding in Naivasha on Wednesday, February 26, Ogamba said the government is consulting various government agencies before determining when the KUCCPS portal will open for university applications.
Ogamba said the main issue is how to adequately fund the 246,391 KCSE 2024 candidates who qualified for university.
“Can we afford to provide full loans and scholarships to all first-year students while still catering for continuing students? Should we determine an optimal number that the government can afford to sponsor while allowing others to seek alternative funding,” Ogamba posed to the delegates present.
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Govt Funding Challenges
Further, the CS asked the higher education stakeholders to come up with alternative funding options for students.
He explained that the country is facing a huge challenge due to the high number of qualifying students and the financial crisis facing the country.
“We are meeting here when the country is set to make critical decisions on university admissions and funding, affecting the highest ever number of qualifiers for university admissions in the history of our country,” Ogamba said.
“These are some of the questions that I am putting on the table for this conference to interrogate.”
High Court Justice Chacha Mwita ruled that the government’s funding model is unconstitutional, sparking concerns about university financing.
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