Ruto Announces 100% Funding for New Tertiary Students
President William Ruto has declared that all students eligible for admission to universities and colleges would now receive full government financing for their higher education.
This is a significant shift in Kenya’s higher education finance strategy.
Speaking on Tuesday, July 21, at State House in Nairobi, Ruto stated that any student who passes national exams and is accepted into a university or college will receive complete government support, regardless of socioeconomic status.
“Going forward, any student, so long as they have passed their examinations and they have been placed in a college or university, will get full funding for their higher education,” Ruto said.
“It will be the choice for parents if they want to pay.”
Any student, so long as they have passed their exam and have been placed in a college or university, will get full funding – President Ruto pic.twitter.com/E4w9AQMwyt— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) July 21, 2026
According to the Head of State, the new funding model will go into effect in September 2026, assuming Parliament passes the Bill to replace the current system.
The announcement is a shift from the current funding model, which allocates financial support based on students’ levels of need under the Variable Scholarship and Loan Funding Model.
Under the new directive, the government will shoulder the cost of higher education for all students admitted to public institutions, with parents only expected to contribute voluntarily if they wish to do so.
The President urged MPs to fast-track amendments to the Higher Education Loans Board Act to enable the new funding model to take effect from the September 2026 intake.
A proud moment for our students, our nation, and the future of higher education.
In a significant boost to Kenya’s commitment to 100% transition to institutions of higher learning, His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Kenya, Dr William Samoei Ruto, PhD, CGH, has… pic.twitter.com/jNWf8FUDa5— Dr Beatrice Muganda Inyangala, CBS (@Bettymuganda17) July 21, 2026
Ruto argued that quality education remains the foundation of social equality, saying Kenya must invest in ensuring every qualified student has an opportunity to pursue their preferred course.
“Countries that are ahead of us had high-quality education. Education was a central pillar,” he said.
“My team tells me that education makes us equal and has no equal. That is where we are taking this.”
ALSO READ:
- Ruto Appoints New Gov’t Spokesperson, Nominates Sossion & Atwoli’s Wife To Lucrative Posts
- THREE Scammers Charged For Fake TSC, Police Recruitment
- Police Threatens To Withdraw Security From Rogue Politicians
- Jubilee Party Breaks Silence After Pauline Njoroge’s Resignation
- ALBERT OJWANG’ CASE: CCTV Reveals Cell Guard On Night Of Murder
He noted that under the current system, some students from disadvantaged families are forced to abandon competitive courses because they cannot afford the required household contribution.
“I want to implore Parliament to expedite amendments to the Higher Education Loans Board so that beginning September we can make sure that any child who qualifies for medicine does not fail to study medicine because their parents cannot afford to pay the household contribution,” Ruto reiterated.
If Parliament approves the amendments, the government will fully finance higher education for all eligible students admitted to universities and colleges.
Ruto added that the government will carefully review the proposal, engage stakeholders and conduct wider consultations before finalising its implementation.
“As government, we shall now study this proposal carefully,” he said.
“We shall engage with its recommendations, consult widely and once that process is done, I will communicate the way forward as we shape Kenya’s next long-term vision.”
Ruto Announces 100% Funding for New Tertiary Students
