Universities seek to triple tuition fees

Universities have stepped up pressure on the government to triple tuition fees as they grapple with low funding.

In a presentation during a two-day conference on the state of higher education, vice chancellors said fees should be increased from the current Sh16,000 to Sh48,000 per year.

“Government-sponsored students pay just Sh16,000, which is very low. This was set in 1989, when the average cost of training a university student was Sh86,000,” said Prof Daniel Mugendi Njiru of the University of Embu.

Prof Njiru said the current cost of training a student stands at Sh250,000. Private universities also want to double their fees from Sh70,000 to Sh140,000.

Several vice chancellors said that training students with the current fees, and funding from government, is unsustainable.

Prof Njiru said the decline in revenue from self-sponsored students since 2016, following a reduction in the number of students qualifying to join universities, had affected operations.

UNSUSTAINABLE

He said there was a need for affirmative funding for new universities to support infrastructure.

“Differentiated Unit Cost has not been fully implemented,” said Prof Njiru, who also called on the government to check the high accreditation and inspection fees charged by professional bodies.

Private universities also asked for an increase in funding but Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha ruled out any further support.

“We do not have extra funds to give private universities, which have admitted government-sponsored students,” said Prof Magoha.

Private universities sought Sh5.6 billion through the National Assembly for the training of government-sponsored students in their institutions.

Kenya Association of Private Universities chairman Mumo Kisau said the money allocated is insufficient to sustain the institutions.

QUALITY AFFECTED

He lamented the reduction of funds allocated for private universities by Sh20 million from Sh2 billion, though the number of students had increased from 6,312 in 2016/2017 to 29,826 in the 2018/19 academic year.

“This number is expected to grow to about 40,000 students in private universities after the released placement of students by Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service,” said Prof Kisau in a letter dated May 3 to National Assembly Clerk Michael Sialai.

In the letter, private universities said funding had dropped to a level that was impractical for them to ensure quality education.

“This year, ending June 2019, the funds to be disbursed to private universities cannot meet the basic threshold to keep the students in class,” said the chairman.

SPONSORED STUDENTS

Prof Kisau added that the situation is worse for government-sponsored students in private universities.

“We write this letter to you to bring this matter to your attention in order that the current budget discussions [on] the floor of the House does not end up with the allocation that is below the bare minimum of the required funding of at least Sh5 billion for government-sponsored students in private universities,” the letter indicated.

Private institutions are willing to continue supplementing “within reasonable scopes” efforts by the government to provide quality training, he said.

Private universities first admitted government-sponsored students in 2016, when they took in 6,312. In 2017, they admitted 12,275, while in 2018 they took in 11,239. This year, they will admit 17,722 students.

Mount Kenya University will admit the highest number of students at 2,883, followed by Kabarak University 2,252, KCA University (1,824), Catholic University of Eastern Africa (1,269) and Kenya Methodist University (1,092).