Unprecedented Number of Over 50,000 Qualified Students Skip University Placement Process.
Government Worried Over 50,000 Qualified Students Who Did Not Apply for University Placement
The Government is concerned after it emerged that over 50,000 students who qualified for university and college placement through Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) did not apply. This comes as the Ministry of Education reduces university fees by up to 40%.
According to the Ministry of Education data, 42,000 students who met the minimum requirement of C+ in 2024 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) did not apply through the KUCCPS portal. 7,000 others who applied were not matched to any course.
Dr Julius Ogambo of the Ministry of Education said out of the students who got C+ and above, 7,640 opted for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions instead of university. 6,750 chose to join Kenya Medical Training Colleges (KMTCs), other health related institutions and Primary Teacher Training Colleges (TTCs).
The placement trends show that students still prefer high demand courses like engineering and medicine. But the Ministry noted a big surge in interest in primary school teaching diploma programmes which got 20,786 applications against 13,823 capacity. 11,636 students were placed in the diploma teaching programme.
KMTCs had many applicants, 52,725 to be exact. 25,034 were placed in various KMTC programs. Dr Ogambo said nursing was the most sought after course, followed by Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Medical Emergency Technician and Community Health programs.
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The Ministry confirmed that 6,750 students who scored C+ and above in 2024 KCSE were placed in KMTC programs.
The KUCCPS portal is still open for those who have not applied to do so. The Higher Education Fund (HEF) portal is also open for applications for financial support under the revised means-testing formula.
The Government through the Ministry of Education has revised the means-testing instruments used to assess students’ financial needs. The new criteria include previous school fees paid by families, size of agricultural land owned, outstanding medical bills and application history to financial support programs like the Hustler Fund.
Dr Julius Ogambo said these changes will ensure students are assessed based on their actual financial situation hence affordability and access to higher education.
Unprecedented Number of Over 50,000 Qualified Students Skip University Placement Process.
