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To apply for their desired degree programs at their preferred universities, students must navigate the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) online portal. There, they encounter an array of degree courses categorized by universities, along with their corresponding tuition fees per academic year. For instance, pursuing a Bachelor's degree at Maseno University would cost KES 612,000 per year. READ ALSO : List of 39 Public Universities where the government will only sponsor students.

The government of Kenya has announced that only 45,000 out of approx. 173,000 2022 KCSE candidates will receive full scholarships this year. However, eligibility for these scholarships hinges on being classified as extremely needy, less vulnerable and able through a targeting tool resembling a poverty index. Unfortunately, attending a private primary or private secondary school may disqualify students from a full government scholarship, leaving many without this financial lifeline.

Out of the 173,127 KCSE 2022 students who achieved a minimum grade of C+, a staggering 128,127 will have to vie for the next level of graduated funding. The Ministry of Education has revealed that students from LESS VULNERABLE households may qualify for government scholarships of UP TO 53% and HELB loans of UP TO 40%. However, families are expected to bear the remaining 7% of tuition fees, creating an additional financial burden.

Let's consider an example: a student has been admitted to pursue a Bachelor's degree at Maseno University, with annual tuition fees of KES 612,000.

If the student is deemed eligible for the MAXIMUM limit of 53% government scholarship, the government will cover KES 324,000 of the tuition fees. This leaves the student responsible for KES 288,000.

Additionally, the student can apply for an optional loan through the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB), which can cover up to 40% of the tuition fees. However, it's important to note that the loan amount offered by HELB is variable and dependent on the financial need and poverty level of the applicant. This means that the actual loan amount could range anywhere from 0% to 40% of the tuition fees. Let's assume that in this case, the student receives the maximum loan amount of 40%, which would be KES 244,800. This reduces the student's financial burden to KES 43,200.

To cover the remaining 7% of the tuition fees, the student's parents or guardians would need to raise KES 42,840.

In summary, based on the example of pursuing a Bachelor's degree at Maseno University with tuition fees of KES 612,000 per year, if a student receives the MAXIMUM limit of 53% government scholarship and the MAXIMUM 40% loan from HELB, the government will pay KES 324,000 as a scholarship, the loan will cover KES 244,800, and the parents will need to raise KES 42,840. In reality, the parents will cover more than  100K, given that an average student will not receive the maximum limit - sponsorship and loans.

Students must consider this variability and plan accordingly when selecting courses through the online application system. 

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