Many people have an opinion on President William Ruto’s plan to centralize funding for higher education.
In the event that the proposed proposal is put into action, two powerful organizations will be merged into a single, more manageable financial body.
While celebrating the New Year in Mombasa, Ruto announced widespread changes to the industry.
The presidential working party on education reforms is also due to present its second preliminary report this month.
Helb, the Technical and Vocational Education Council, and the University Funding Board will be merged into a single organization, which Ruto has announced the government would name the National Skill and Funding Council.
According to him, this will close the 45 percent financing gap in higher education.
Eliminating Helb would result in a single distribution of funds to colleges and universities.
Students’ loan money and money set aside for the cost of living adjustment will be distributed by the same organization.
Students, however, expressed concern that the cash might be misused if this were to occur.
Melvin Thogo, president of the University of Nairobi’s student government, said the proposal will not address the universities’ budget problems.
Even though at first glance it seems like a good idea, according to Thogo, “this is the quickest method to disenfranchise students of this fund.”
The UNSA chair was presenting evidence to the presidential working party on educational reforms.
With the monies pooled together, “the university administration will collect the money directly and then distribute it to students,” as Thogo put it.
To oversee financial institutions, Ruto announced his intention to form the National Skill and Funding Council.
However, if Helb is discontinued, concerns have been raised about the future of those who currently receive student loans.
Professors were also against the merger because they feared it would reduce financial disclosures.
Maloba Wekesa, secretary of the UoN’s UASU chapter, has stated that combining Helb and UF’s missions is a bad idea.
In his opinion, both organizations should be given room to do their jobs without interference.
Wekesa argued that combining the University Fund with the Higher Education Loans Board, which handles the day-to-day operations of student loans, was a bad idea.
The union secretary continued by stating that universities should operate semi-independently from the ministry in terms of budgeting and directing funding through the University Fund.
The universities funding board is tasked with creating open and equitable standards for allocating cash to public universities and providing private universities with conditional grants.
UF also distributes cash to public universities and provides private institutions with conditional subsidies based on predetermined benchmarks.
Helb’s mission is to find ways to help Kenyans pay for college, whether it is at a school in Kenya or anywhere in the world.
