Proposed changes to push up varsity fees

Parents could have to dig deeper in their pockets to pay for their children’s education at public universities if new proposals on financing are accepted.

A team of international and local experts has proposed the merging of the regular and parallel degree programmes, with students being charged uniform fees.

It also recommends that fees covering institutionally-provided food and accommodation be increased.

This would mean that students who are in the regular programme, whose studies are subsidised, would pay more than they do currently, but those in the parallel degree programmes would pay less.

“A financial downside to this proposal of a single tuition fee schedule for all students within the same institution, programme type, and level is that many students currently paying high Module II fees could end up paying less — to the possible financial detriment of the university.”

The increase should be implemented as soon as next year, but the implementation of all the proposals should be staggered over two to three years, says the report.

According to the report, a system of tuition fees should also be established, to be phased in over a period of three years beginning, if possible, with the class entering the universities in 2011.

“The new tuition fees should be uniform for all students in a particular university or university college in a given programme and at a given level but should vary by institution, programme and level,” says the report.

Market demand

It suggests that the tuition fees should be pegged on instructional costs of the programme, its market demand, and the prevailing starting salaries of its graduates.

According to the report, Financing University Education in Kenya, students in the regular programme would be the most affected as their tuition fees are lower than those paid by their counterparts in the parallel programme.

Other than increased government funding, the report proposes that public universities turn to parents, students, donors, and institutional and faculty entrepreneurship for more funding.

However, it concedes that additional support from the government will be limited in future due to other competing social and political needs.

The debate on whether or not to increase tuition fees has been a controversial one, with students vowing in the past to reject the proposal if it is passed.

Constrained

Many of them argue that their parents are already financially constrained and cannot afford an extra financial burden in the form of tuition fees.

The document suggests the government’s contribution to public universities should cover the cost of instruction (differentiated by programme area and level) for all students irrespective of whether they are in the regular or parallel programme.

Although it says covering both programmes will be at a higher cost to the government, students will be required to pay more tuition fees “as well as break-even fees for the cost of institutionally-provided room and board”.

“These higher incoming revenue streams would substantially offset higher per student instructional budget allocations,” adds the report.

The authors of the report also propose a revision in the governmental annual recurrent budget allocation to universities to add a limited but selective and competitive fund for doctorate studies and research.

The move, the document adds, would explicitly recognise the higher cost of graduate level instruction and research conducted by academic staff at an international level.

The report also proposes that the Higher Education ministry and the Higher Education Loans Board fund a number of scholarships based on merit and financial need, in conjunction with the Higher Education Loans Board.

Food prices

Increasing food costs will reduce the need for government subsidy of food and accommodation, which currently benefits only students on the regular degree programmes.

“At the same time, an arrangement should be explored with private providers to take over the provision of on-campus room and board (and perhaps bookstores as well) and to provide additional accommodation near the campuses that the enrolment expansion plans calls for.”