First-year university students have begun registering and reporting for the 2026/2027 academic year amid uncertainty over how the government’s new funding system will work.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

The uncertainty comes as the government prepares to introduce a new funding model for students admitted to universities from September 2026, under which the state has pledged to cover tuition and upkeep.

As the new academic year approaches, students, parents and universities are waiting for the government to issue detailed guidance on the fee payment structure.

However, institutions have started processing incoming students despite not having official direction on how tuition payments will be handled under the new arrangement.

📌 What You Need to Know

At Machakos University, more than 3,000 first-year students have so far reported during the ongoing registration exercise.

Vice-Chancellor Joyce Agalo said the university was admitting all students while awaiting communication from the government on fees.

“We are receiving all our students even as we wait for the issue of fees to be cleared. Whatever amount they have come with, especially for hostels, is what we are currently asking them to pay, but for the other fees, we are waiting for communication,” she said.

Parents have appealed for clarity, saying they want assurance that students will not face difficulties once classes begin.

Students have also raised concerns over higher education funding challenges, including delays in disbursements from the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB).

The proposed changes are contained in the Tertiary Education, Placement and Funding Bill, 2026, which seeks to merge HELB, the Universities Fund and the TVET Fund into a new Tertiary Education Funding Authority .

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke