KUCCPS Placement Delay Leaves Students in Limbo as Funding crisis Hits Universities
The Kenyan government has announced that funding for university students will decline significantly due to a new funding model introduced during the previous administration.
The University Fund (UF) stated that the Differentiated Unit Cost (DUC) model, introduced in 2018, reduces funding as the number of government-sponsored students increases.
Under the previous model, universities received a flat rate of Ksh120,000 per year for students in the government sponsorship programme. The DUC model groups all academic programmes into 14 clusters, with the cost of teaching fixed for each.
The government offers funding based on the amount of money required to teach each course. Funding has increased for certain courses, including medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, pharmacy and architectural studies, but decreased for others.
As a result, public universities are experiencing a financial crisis. Since the 2021/2022 financial year, government allocation has decreased from Ksh86bn to Ksh78bn in 2022/2023.
Students in Kenya are also still waiting for the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) placement, while the UF warns that government sponsorship will be based on available funds.
The government has not yet opened the portal for 2022 KCSE students to apply to university.
The UF statement suggests that not all students who achieved a C+ in the 2022 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education will receive government capitation, and that placement will continue based on available funds.
The KUCCPS has not provided any explanation for the delay in opening its portal. The UF announcement compounds bad news for students who are already facing uncertain placement prospects and a difficult financial climate.
KUCCPS Placement Delay Leaves Students in Limbo as Funding crisis Hits Universities.
