The Universities Education Fund and Ministry of Education advised students who applied for government scholarships and are dissatisfied with the band category they were placed in that they still have a chance to appeal for the funding.
This comes after the placement process was criticized for incorrectly categorizing needy students into loan bands designated for families with higher incomes, leaving many unable to afford the costs associated with their education.
The Universities Fund CEO, Geoffrey Monari stated that the Universities Fund is open to appeals and encouraged students from needy families who were placed in the wrong category to lodge their appeals immediately.
“All is not lost because we will give these students a second chance for them to come and uh appeal give us proper information; new information and we can be able to give them a chance to be banded in the correct category,” he said in a media interview.
Education CS Julius Ogamba also advised students with questions or appeals regarding fees and funding are encouraged to contact the ministry’s dedicated teams at universities during admission or through the Higher Education Portal at www.hef.co.ke.
The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) has outlined a step-by-step process for students to file an appeal.
How to Appeal for the Bands Category
1. To appeal for more government scholarship funding, students log onto the Higher Education Financing (HEF) portal on www.hef.co.ke.
2. On the left side of the website, navigate to “Funds Appeal” and then click “Open” on the undergraduate appeal form.
- The form is meant to receive requests from students who feel dissatisfied by the initial assessment of level of need (Band).
- Students are only allowed to provide only new information that they might have missed during your initial application.
3. Proceed to provide required information on the given sections and attach necessary documents where applicable.
- Once you have opened the form, enter your KCSE Index Number starting with the year of your exam (excluding “/”).
- Next, select one reason for your appeal, such as being raised by a single mother, having both parents deceased, or finding the expected household contribution too high.
- You will then be required to provide proof for the reason you selected above, such as a death certificate if both parents are deceased.
4. Finally, submit the information to upon completing the process.
5. You will then get a confirmation that the request has been received for processing.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education [MoE] through County Directors of Education & Sub-County Directors of Education are currently validating the applicants’ socio-economic background data.
Scan the validation data collected and email it to geoffrey.monari@ufb.go.ke
The MOE Task Force will review the appeals and upload the appeals outcome on the Higher Education Financing (HEF) student portal within 3 weeks after submission.
Also to note, the deadline for applications has been extended to 31st December 2024, to accommodate those who may face delays.
About the Funding Model
The Education Ministry reviewed the banding using what they term an improved means testing instrument that pays close attention to the socio-economic indicators of the student’s environment including household income.
Others include geographic location, poverty levels, number of dependents in the student’s family as well as other special circumstances like disabilities.
Under the revised means testing instrument, students seeking financial aid were grouped into five bands depending on the level of income of a household and their financial needs.
The bands outline the breakdown of how the fees will be paid, including the exact amount students are expected to pay, the scholarship they will receive, and the amount to be covered by study loans.
Also Read: Govt Explains Criteria for Student Loans Bands & Respective Fees for Households After Ruto Order
How the Bands Are Categorized
According to the categories, students from homes earning less than Ksh5,995 will get the highest amount of government funding.
The government scholarship covers 70%, the loan 25%, providing 95% support, with families contributing 5% and an upkeep loan of Ksh60,000.
Students from households earning between Ksh5,995 and Ksh23,670 will be classified in band two and will get the second highest amount in government funding.
It includes a 60% government scholarship, 30% loan, with families left to contribute 10% and an upkeep loan of Ksh55,000.
Band 3 is for families with a monthly income up to Ksh70,000. It offers 50% from the government scholarship, 30% from the loan, totaling 80% support, with families contributing 20%, and an upkeep loan of Ksh50,000.
Band 4 was designated for students whose parents earn an income of between Ksh70,000 – Ksh120,000. The government scholarship covers 40%, the loan 30%, totaling 70% support, with families contributing 30%.
For students in Band 5, parents earning above Ksh120,000, the government scholarship covers 30%, the loan 30%, totaling 60% support, leaving families to contribute 40%.
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