Govt Launches New Application Portal for Higher Education Loans & Scholarships 

On Monday, the government introduced an application portal to facilitate the process of obtaining loans and scholarships under the New Universities and Colleges Funding Mode.

Education Cabinet Secretary, Ezekiel Machogu, announced during the launch event held at the Kenya School of Government in Kabete that all prospective students seeking financial assistance for higher education should now submit formal online requests through the Higher Education Financing (HEF) portal, www.hef.co.ke.

"It is now my pleasure to announce that the scholarships, loans and bursaries application platform is now ready for use," Machogu said.

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The CS emphasized that under the new funding model, the government will take full responsibility for covering the education expenses of vulnerable and extremely needy students, who make up 29% of the incoming university and TVET student population this year. 

This financial support will be provided through government scholarships, loans, and bursaries.

"For the first time, students whose households are at the bottom of the pyramid shall enjoy equal opportunities in accessing university and TVET education through 100% government funding," Machogu said.

In the same vein, CS Machogu has encouraged students to adhere to the specified timelines to facilitate prompt processing of scholarships and loans, as many universities are gearing up to admit First Year students in September.

He highlighted that the new funding model adopts a student-centered approach rather than providing block funding to institutions. This shift aims to prioritise individual student needs and streamline the funding process accordingly.