Scholarships & Loans

Student Centred Funding Model (SCFM)

The Student Centered Funding Model [SCFM] was unveiled by the President of the Republic of Kenya on 3rd May 2023 to solve the issues that public universities and TVET colleges were having, which were mostly related to high enrollment and insufficient funding. With this student-centered finance model, loans and scholarships are distributed to students according to their determined levels of need.

The VSLF model, rather than the earlier Differentiated Unit Cost (DUC) model, will now serve as the basis for the capitation of universities and TVET institutes. Scholarships, loans, and household payments will all be combined into the student funding on a graduated scale, as assessed periodically by the Means Testing Instrument [MTI].

Key Players in the Student Centered Funding Model (SCFM)

1. Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) -Provides Loans and Bursaries to students enrolled in TVET Colleges and Universities.
2. Universities Fund (UF) -Provides Undergraduate Grants and Scholarships to Government Sponsored Students enrolled in Public Universities.
3. Kenya Universities and Colleges Placement Service (KUCCPS): For placement of Students in their desired and qualified courses upon application.
4. State Department for TVET: Provides TVET scholarships.
5. Higher Learning Institutions: The recipients of loans and scholarships awarded to students inform of fees.
6. Parents: To support household’s contributions
7. General Public.

Why the Student Centered Funding Model (SCFM)?

1. Address financial challenges facing universities.
2. Ensures eligible Kenyan students are provided with adequate financial support for their education.
3. Promotes equity and access to higher education; applicants are funded depending on their levels of need.
4. The Government can account for every Kenyan student supported through loans, scholarships and bursaries in higher education sector.
5. Students are funded based on the actual cost of the programmes. 

Eligibility

1. University students from KCSE 2022 to 2023 cohort;
2. TVET trainees admitted from September 2023