News
Proposed changes to push up varsity fees
Moi University graduands celebrate during the institution’s 24th graduation ceremony last year. Local and foreign experts have proposed that regular and parallel courses at universities be merged. Photo/FILE
Posted Monday, February 22 2010 at 21:00
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
-
Submitted by turtledovePosted February 23, 2010 08:18 PM
-
Submitted by amka3
Public universities should cater for the brightest students. Increasing fees will only push the cost to limit poor students. I do not disagree with the need to increase fees in order to meet operations, but they should take care of those who may not afford.
Posted February 23, 2010 08:13 PM -
Submitted by harriison
That is not sitting well wth the poor majority who will be affected. Always whenever anything comes from the the goverment, it is aimed at oppressing the poor. I bet this trend will not take long, a time is coming for the poor to liberate themselves. These proposals should be revised to accommodate the poor evenly.
Posted February 23, 2010 05:50 PM -
Submitted by KrisRadido
Which kind of society are we creating here? Already, rich kids from private primary schools fill our top secondary schools where, whether they work hard or not, they are guaranteed university education! Are we making education a preserve of the rich?
Posted February 23, 2010 12:40 PM -
Submitted by Louis Muiruri
Already students are dropping out of public universities due to lack of fees. It is as if we have not have had enough. Why reduce fees for the rich kid who is not even complaining, and hike the same for the already overburdened son of the peasant? I thought the higher education loan scheme would be self sustaining by now to ensure smooth running in a status quo scenario.
Posted February 23, 2010 12:10 PM
RSS
let me ask, was the poor person consulted of this issue?. the fact is the same,that education is turning out to be for the rich. Am not inciting but the hardworking poor regular students should join hands n reject this issue at any cost n value. The idea of the rich setting up a status quo should not be tolerated. Where are our mother Teresa's in this scenario?