Hundreds of students miss out on gov't funding over lack of IDs

The students, many of whom were unable to write their end-of-semester exams due to fees areas are accusing the government of going back on its promise that no student would miss out on government funding.

In late August, the cabinet waived a requirement of a national Identity card for underage student scholarship and loan applicants, as it sought to make them eligible for allocations from the Higher Education Loans Board. 

However, this unprecedented decision did nothing for the majority of underage university students, who are yet to receive any funding from the government. The students whose identity we have hidden because they’re minors and to avoid victimisation say, their future in school is bleak at the moment 

Despite the cabinet’s directive to the higher education loans board meant to circumvent the legal quagmire of entering into contractual agreements with minors, HELB has seemingly not heeded to the directive. 

Some first-year students from Egerton University are also sailing in the same boat after the higher education funding locked them out of scholarships. The students who come from needy families now want the government to fulfill its pledge that no child will be locked out of higher education funding.

"yaani wale wengine tuko nao hostel walipata lakini mimi sikupata kitu. ilibidi niwakope wanisaidie angalau nipate kitu. nikiangalia hali ya mzazi nyumbani hataweza na hii karo ni nyingi,” says Josh Mwarui from Egerton University.

“We want the government to give us the amount we need so that we can be able to proceed with our studies,” adds Josh Mwarui of Egerton University.

While denying that the board is penalising learners for being too young, the higher education loans board CEO Charles Ringera told Citizen TV that "The board has successfully allocated funding to over 26,000 underage first year students, with an exception of a few challenges where the bank details of guardians and parents supplied by students do not match those of the student. The board is navigating this challenge by advising the learners to open mobile money accounts for easy disbursement." 

About 2, 000 candidates who enrolled in higher institutions and applied for loans and scholarships do not have national identity cards, as they are yet to attain eighteen years of age.

For now, those affected are contemplating deferring their studies until they attain 18 years, even as they question how the government deemed them eligible for scholarships in high school but not at the university level.