Is Kenya going to see a rush for study opportunities at its technical institutes after the lowering of the application fee from Sh1,500 to Sh500?
The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) made the announcement on August 9 only days after university was chopped by up to 40 percent.
In the recent past, there has been a throbbing debate on affordable basic and further education in Kenya, partly with the reports that the budget for subsidised secondary school education was far below the recommended Sh22,244 capitation per learner.
However, the government, led by President William Ruto, has promised to continue offering affordable education.
“To enhance access and uptake, KUCCPS has reduced TVET application fee from Kshs. 1,500 to Kshs 500,” the placement agency said in a statement for the new September intake applications running across August 8-22.
It was not clear whether the reduction will be sustained up to next year or it was a campaign to mop up the potential learners going by the number of study opportunities that go unused annually.
Some estimates have put it that the KUCCPS earns about Sh1 billion yearly from the Sh1,500 application fees for university and TVET places, taking into account the extra Sh1,000 course and institution transfer charges.
On the P1 and ECDE teachers upgrading to diploma qualification, the placement agency says the studies will be offered in a flexible training schedule starting this month or during the November- December school holidays.
The Diploma in Primary Teacher Education applications opened on August 6 and will run continually with brief stops for processing of received applications. “The initial deadline is 20th
August 2025,” KUCCPS said.
“The upgrade programme will ensure that there are no shortages of teachers who are well prepared to deliver the Competency Based Curriculum, especially at tthe lower levels of learning,” says KUCCPS chief executive Agnes Mercy
Wahome.
“KUCCPS encourages all eligible teachers to seize the opportunity to enhance their qualifications and invest in the future of Kenya’s education system,” she added.
