The government has established new limits for amount of money that will be given to university students as pocket money under the Higher Education Loans board (HELB).
Education Principal Secretary Beatrice Inyangala said that the new limits will ensure vulnerable students across the country are well taken care of.
She explained that the changes will take effect under the new university higher education financing model, as a new cohort of students join their first year of university.
Further, Inyangala stated that the most vulnerable students will be given Ksh60,000 every year for pocket money.
On the other hand, the second level, ranked under the funding model, will get Ksh55,000. The third level Ksh50,000 while the fourth level will get Ksh45,000.
Additionally, the fifth level, that is people from families that are somewhat well off, will get Ksh40,000 every year for pocket money.
Also Read: HELB Announces Ksh450,000 Post Graduate Loans; How to Apply
PS Reveals How Much Parents Will Pay for Fees
At the same time, the PS refuted reports that parents were going to bear the burden of hiked school fees under the new model.
According to her, the government will be covering up to 80 percent of the program fees, meaning that parents will only pay 20 percent.
“I want to assure you that we have not increased the cost of programs. When we operationalized the new model, the cost of programs was determined, and government committed to cover up to 80 percent of the program fees.
“While families would then meet 20 percent of the fees with support from HELB,” she said.
Moreover, education PS Beatrice Inyangala said that some families will pay about Ksh3,000 for fees, because of the subsidization from the government.
“So, families pay fees ranging from 5 percent of the cost of the program to 40 percent of the cost of the program. I can assure you that families will pay as low as Ksh3,000 per semester for their children,” she explained.
Also Read: Over 150,000 Students Risk Not Joining University Over HELB
How Much HELB will Cover for Medicine Courses
Also, she said that for expensive courses like medicine, the government has put in place measures to ensure that they are well subsidized.
Therefore, where the fees are about Ksh600,000, a family will only pay about Ksh30,000.
The PS also announced that beginning August 19, parents will officially be informed exactly how much they will be paying for fees.
“For a course like medicine which is the most expensive at about Ksh600,000, a family will only pay about Ksh30,000.
“From August 19, every student will know how much they are supposed to pay for fees and how much their families will contribute,” she added.
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