Vice-chancellors (VCs) of private universities will be removed from the board of a State agency that places students in proposed changes that mirror a policy shift in the new funding model.
Parliament is set to debate the Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2023 that if passed will remove the two VCs of private universities from the 13-member board of the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS).
The proposed law comes at a time when the State has adopted a new funding formula that has stopped government capitation for students in private universities.
“The provision removes the two Vice-Chancellors representing private universities membership on the board of the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service,” reads the Bill.
Under the new funding formula, students joining universities and colleges will now be funded based on their need levels under the new formula that replaced the Differentiated Unit Cost.
University funding will be apportioned to individual students according to four need levels which are; vulnerable, extremely needy, needy, and less needy.
The formula will see students from poor homes get more financial support than those from well-off families.
Eight indicators that the State is using to classify the students are; parents’ background, gender, course type, marginalisation, disability as well as family size and composition.
