The Universities Fund has warned of a Ksh.16 billion shortfall in university scholarship funding for the 2026/2027 financial year, raising concerns about its ability to meet the growing demand for financial assistance among students.
The Fund estimates that it needs Ksh.47 billion to cover scholarship requirements during the financial year, against an allocation of Ksh.30.1 billion.
Acting Chief Executive Officer Dr Edwin Wanyonyi said the problem is not only about raising more money but also ensuring that available funds reach students who need them most. He noted that some students receive financial assistance from several organisations, while others struggle to pay their university fees without any support.
“Our biggest challenge isn’t mobilizing resources; it is creating impact with the resources we already have,” Wanyonyi said.
Speaking during a meeting with scholarship and bursary providers in Nairobi on Wednesday, October 28, Wanyonyi called for closer cooperation between the government, corporate foundations, non-governmental organisations and private sponsors to improve access to university education.
He urged funding organisations to coordinate their programmes and share relevant information to avoid situations where some students receive multiple awards while equally deserving learners miss out on financial support.
The meeting, organised by the Universities Fund under the theme “Reaching More Students, Together”, brought together stakeholders to discuss ways of improving the distribution of scholarships and identifying students whose financial needs remain unmet.
Under the Student-Centred Funding Model, the Fund expects approximately 608,879 students to benefit from scholarships in the 2026/2027 financial year.
Wanyonyi said combining the strengths and resources of different providers would help expand scholarship coverage and give more eligible students an opportunity to pursue higher education. Participants proposed establishing a shared, secure data system that would allow scholarship providers to identify students already receiving assistance, assess their remaining financial needs and reduce duplication of awards.
The proposed system would build on the Universities Fund’s role as a custodian of student funding data. Stakeholders also stressed that any information-sharing arrangement must protect students’ personal details in line with the Data Protection Act, 2019. Other proposals included joint awareness campaigns to inform students about available scholarships, improved information sharing, resource mobilisation and strategic partnerships to expand access to financial assistance.
The discussions are expected to inform the development of a framework for continued collaboration among scholarship and bursary providers. The goal is to make better use of existing resources, reduce overlaps in funding and ensure that more students who qualify for university education can afford to complete their studies.