For a sizable portion of students enrolling in universities and Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) institutions, the new finance model for higher education- based on Means Testing Instrument [MTI]- continues to be a perplexing proposition.

According to the plan unveiled by President William Ruto in May 2023, the government wants to allocate financing for higher education directly to specific students based on carefully chosen standards.

The Higher Education Financing (HEF) Portal, via which individual applications for scholarships, loans, and bursaries would be made shortly after obtaining acceptance letters, was opened by former Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu in 2023.

However, concerns have been raised about how you can apply for the government scholarship and who will receive it, how much you actually get, and more.

So Below is How to Apply for a Government Scholarship this year Under the New Model for University Funding and answers to some of the above nagging questions

How to Apply for a Government Scholarship Under the New Model for University Funding

First, to be eligible for the scholarship, you must be a Kenyan citizen and a KCSE exam candidate in 2022- that is according to the University Fund Kenya.

Additionally, you must have been assigned by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) to study for an undergraduate degree, a diploma, a craft certificate, or an artisan course at one of Kenya’s approved public universities or TVET institutions.

Now, once you have met these requirements, just follow these steps:

By the way before you proceed, make sure you have the following:

• A copy of the sponsorship letter if you were sponsored by someone in secondary school
• A valid email address
• A valid phone number -registered in your name(not parent’s/guardian’s)
• Your KCPE and KCSE index numbers
• Your TVET college or university admission letter
• Your parent’s/guardian’s registered telephone numbers
• Your national ID number(if you have- choose No if you don’t have)
• Death certificate of your parents, if they are deceased- copy of death certificate if deceased one, if only one has passed on.
• A passport photo
• Your birth certificate.
• Your KUCCPS course Code (see it from KUCCPS Website)

Besides, if you’ll be applying for HELB loans, you need to have the national ID numbers as well as the registered telephone numbers for 2 guarantors(Can even be your parents).

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Now proceed reading the steps to used under new funding model below..

Step 1: HEF portal registration online

Visit https://www.hef.co.ke/  to submit you application. You can also type www hef co ke login in your browser.

Step 2:

Once you are passed the new funding model portal login,  you need to register first…

Start by clicking apply now then click Register and then fill in all the information you’re asked for in the displayed online HEF portal registration form

Step 3:

Once you do that- you might be required to login afresh- complete your profile and upload any necessary papers as asked by the system.

Next, check the option to apply for a loan or scholarship according to your financial needs, and then submit their application (remember that students attending private universities can only apply for a loan).

Step 4:

You now wait 30 days for the system to finish verification and assessment of your need.

It will then send you an SMS notification confirming how much you’ll get.

Important information regarding the HEF website and the new university funding portal

• It’s important to note that although students attending private colleges are not entitled to the government’s scholarship program, you can still apply for loans through the HELB (if you’ll be attending a private institution).
• The new financing model will not have an impact on current students, who will continue to receive funds according to the old funding scheme.
• The amount of financial aid each student receives is determined by the household’s monthly income, and it has been divided into four categories: vulnerable, severely needy, needy, and less needy (read about it in the Government Sponsored Students Fee Structure)

Call HEF on 0746737935 if you encounter problems- and do not worry if you are told “HEF portal not working” when you try to open it- just keep trying..it is receiving a lot of traffic sometimes leading to an overload that clears every now and then so just keep retrying until it opens.

Is HEF portal open?

Go here to check

ALSO READ:

Government sponsored students fee structure in Kenya

How much does KUCCPS pay for diploma students

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