Education CS Extends University & TVET Funding Deadline to September 21
The Ministry of Education has extended the application deadline for government funding for first-time university students and TVET trainees to September 21, 2026, giving eligible applicants who missed the initial deadline more time to submit their applications.
The initial application window closed on August 31, 2026, with the government reporting that it had received a total of 789,422 applications for tertiary education funding by the deadline.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba said the extension was necessary to accommodate eligible students and trainees who may have been unable to apply within the initial period due to various circumstances.
The Universities Fund and the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) have consequently been directed to keep the application window open until September 21.
“We are extending it to the 21st of September 2026 to allow all the eligible students who have not applied to apply,” the CS said.
The Ministry has urged all eligible first-time applicants joining universities and TVET institutions to take advantage of the extended window and submit their applications promptly.
The CS clarified that applications by first-time students will initially be processed under the existing Student-Centred Funding Model.
This follows delays in the implementation of the proposed new funding framework, which is contained in the Tertiary Education Placement and Funding Bill, 2026.
The Bill has already gone through its first reading in Parliament and is expected to proceed to the second reading when Parliament resumes.
Ogamba said that once the legislation is passed and comes into operation, the government will introduce transitional mechanisms and move tertiary students to the new funding framework.
The Education CS further clarified that the proposed new model will not apply only to first-year students.
He said all tertiary students will eventually be transitioned to the new funding model once the law comes into force.
This will include students in universities, TVET institutions, Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) and Teacher Training Colleges (TTCs).
The CS explained that first-year students can currently be admitted and funded under the existing system, but they will subsequently be transitioned to the new framework once the legislation is enacted.
He said the transition will therefore cover students across different years of study rather than being limited to first-year students.
The Ministry also announced that the government has already released Sh22.12 billion for the first semester/term to support continuing university students and TVET trainees.
Ogamba clarified that the amount already released relates to ongoing students, while funding for first-time applicants will be released to institutions once their applications are processed.
He said the government has provisions to fund the first-year students under the current model as the country awaits the enactment of the new legislation.
The Education CS also responded to concerns surrounding the potential financial burden that students could face under the proposed universal funding framework.
He explained that the government is considering repayment mechanisms that would allow students to begin repaying their funding only after completing their studies and entering employment or starting a business.
Using TVET as an example, Ogamba said a student undertaking a course costing about Sh67,000 would only begin repayment after securing employment, with the repayment spread over a period of up to 10 years.
“The choice is between you not being able to take your course and taking your course and coming to pay for it after you start working for 10, 15 years,” Ogamba said.
He argued that spreading repayment over an extended period could make the financial burden more manageable for graduates.
The CS also pointed out that repayment would depend on the course undertaken and the eventual income of the graduate.
He cited medical training as an example, noting that graduates entering professions with higher earning potential would be expected to repay according to the mechanisms established under the new system.
Ogamba said the new funding approach is also intended to help increase enrolment in TVET institutions.
He noted that the government wants to increase TVET enrolment significantly, saying the sector's numbers had previously grown from about 297,000 to 580,000 students.
The government is targeting approximately 780,000 students, with an even larger long-term ambition of reaching two million learners.
According to the CS, the cost of training has contributed to students dropping out, and the proposed funding model is expected to help students who may otherwise be unable to afford their programmes.
He said the government is seeking to ensure that financial constraints do not prevent students from pursuing tertiary education.
Eligible first-time university students and TVET trainees who had not applied before the August 31 deadline now have until September 21, 2026, to submit their applications.
The Ministry has encouraged eligible applicants to take advantage of the extended period to avoid missing out on government funding.
The government says the current funding model will remain in use for first-time applicants in the interim, before all tertiary students are eventually transitioned to the proposed new funding framework once the Tertiary Education Placement and Funding Bill, 2026 becomes law.
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