Thousands of university students at risk as scholarship funding faces Sh16 billion shortfall

Thousands of university students at risk as scholarship funding faces Sh16 billion shortfall

Universities Fund Acting Chief Executive Officer Dr Edwin Wanyonyi said the cost of scholarships is projected to reach Sh47 billion against an allocation of Sh30.1 billion.

Thousands of university students risk missing out on financial assistance as scholarship funding faces a Sh16 billion gap in the 2026/2027 financial year, amid rising demand for support.

Speaking on Wednesday, Universities Fund Acting Chief Executive Officer Dr Edwin Wanyonyi said the cost of scholarships is projected to reach Sh47 billion against an allocation of Sh30.1 billion, calling for better coordination among providers to ensure more students receive support.

Wanyonyi said the challenge was not only raising money but also ensuring the available funds reach students who need them most, noting that some learners receive financial support from several organisations while others struggle to pay for their education.

“Our biggest challenge isn’t mobilising resources; it is creating impact with the resources we already have,” Wanyonyi said during a meeting with stakeholders to strengthen coordination and collaboration in the delivery of student financial support in the higher education sector.

“There are students who are overfunded, and yet we have students who are underfunded and others not funded at all.”

He urged the government, corporate foundations, non-governmental organisations and private sponsors to work together to improve access to university education.

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The meeting, organised by the Universities Fund under the theme Reaching More Students, Together, brought together stakeholders to discuss how they could coordinate financial support and identify students who continue to miss out on assistance.

Wanyonyi pointed out that some students receive funding from multiple organisations, making it necessary for providers to share information and work together to avoid duplication while reaching more beneficiaries.

“Some of the students we are funding are also being funded by your organisations. How do we collaborate?” he posed.

Under the Student-Centred Funding Model, the Universities Fund projects that approximately 608,879 students will benefit from scholarships in the 2026/2027 financial year.

Wanyonyi said providers could combine their resources and use their different strengths to help more students who qualify for university education.

“Every Kenyan student who qualifies for university deserves the opportunity to pursue higher education. By working together and improving coordination among scholarship providers, we can ensure that available resources reach more students and have a greater impact,” he said.

During the meeting, stakeholders proposed the creation of a shared and secure data system to help scholarship providers establish which students already receive financial assistance, identify those with unmet needs and reduce the duplication of awards.

The proposed system would build on the Universities Fund’s role as a custodian of student funding data. It would also include safeguards to protect students’ personal information in line with the Data Protection Act, 2019.

The stakeholders also discussed joint campaigns to inform students about available funding opportunities, sharing information, mobilising resources and forming strategic partnerships to increase scholarship coverage.

The discussions are expected to guide the development of a framework for continued cooperation among scholarship and bursary providers, with the aim of improving the distribution of available funds and expanding financial support to students who need it.