Eugine Wabwile Juma 
Education CS Julius Ogamba during the release of the 2025 university placement results in Nairobi on July 8, 2026. Photo KUCCPS
TANDAO MEDIA NEWS
Education Ministry Extends University, TVET Funding Deadline to September 21
The Ministry of Education has announced an extension of the deadline for first-time university students and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) trainees seeking government funding. The new deadline is now set for September 21, 2026. This extension aims to provide eligible applicants with additional time to complete and submit their funding requests. The decision comes in response to concerns that a number of potential applicants may have overlooked the original deadline, thereby missing out on vital financial support for their education. The Ministry encourages all eligible students to take advantage of this additional time to ensure their applications are submitted on time.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba directed the Universities Fund and the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) to reopen the application period. “Recognising that some eligible students and trainees may not have met the initial deadline on account of various causes, the Universities Fund and the Higher Education Loans Board have been directed to extend the application window for all eligible applicants to 21st September, 2026,” Ogamba stated.
The initial application window closed on August 31 after the government received 789,422 funding applications. Ogamba confirmed that Ksh22.12 billion had already been disbursed for first-semester and first-term funding to continuing university students and TVET trainees.
The extension comes as first-year students continue reporting to institutions amid uncertainty over the rollout of the proposed new higher education funding framework. Parliament is currently considering the Tertiary Education, Placement and Funding Bill, 2026, which proposes full government support for first-year students from September, covering tuition and upkeep costs, as announced by President William Ruto in July.
Ogamba clarified that applications will continue to be processed under the current Student-Centred Funding Model while Parliament deliberates on the bill. “For the avoidance of doubt, it is notified for the general information of the public that applications for funding for first time applicants will be considered and processed in accordance with the current Student-Centred Funding Model,” he explained.
He added that transitional mechanisms to the proposed Universal Access and Funding Framework would be implemented once Parliament passes the bill. Meanwhile, the ministry has asked universities and TVET institutions to admit first-year learners as funding arrangements are finalised, amid concerns from students, parents, and institutions over delayed disbursements for the 2026/2027 academic year.
First-time applicants who missed the initial window have been urged to take advantage of the extension and submit their funding requests before the new deadline.
