The New Higher Education Funding Model

On May 3rd, 2023, the President of the Republic of Kenya unveiled the New Funding Model (NFM) to address the challenges faced by public universities and TVET colleges. The NFM adopts a student-centered approach, where scholarships and loans will be allocated based on the assessed level of need for each student. Under the NFM, financial assistance to students will be a combination of scholarships, loans, and household contributions, determined on a graduated scale using the Means Testing Instrument (MTI). This instrument will accurately assess the financial needs of individual students, ensuring a fair distribution of funds. The NFM aims to fully support students who are vulnerable and extremely needy. As a result, students facing significant financial hardships will not be required to pay any fees to colleges and universities.