Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro Urges Expansion of HELB Funding to Private College Students
Providing students in private colleges with funding opportunities available at HELB, he added, will be an important step towards ensuring that no bright student is left behind just because of financial struggles.
Kiharu Constituency Member of Parliament Ndindi Nyoro. Photo/Courtesy
By Ruth Sang
Kiharu Constituency Member of Parliament Ndindi Nyoro has called on the government to widen the eligibility scope of Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) funding to cover students in private colleges, failing which the country will never achieve a competent and competitive work force.
Speaking during an event in Thika to grace the 4th Graduation Ceremony of JFC Munene College of Health Sciences, where over 1,000 students were graduatied with different academic qualifications, Nyoro observed that private institutions in higher education have become an important part of the education landscape in Kenya. They fill a gap in capacity in public institutions, especially where demand for different academic qualifications is high.
Nyoro noted that most students have no choice but to join critical programs such as medicine, nursing, and other health sciences in private colleges because, to some extent, public institutions do not have sufficient space to accommodate all qualified students. Therefore, thousands of students with potential to contribute towards the wellbeing of the country have ended up in expensive private educational systems with no affordable financial aid programs.
He explained that the lack of government-funded student loans puts a very heavy financial burden on students and their parents, which affects their performance in class and in some cases results in students dropping out of school. As an MP argued, this is rather unfair, especially given the critical role these students will go on to play in developing our country, especially in areas with critical shortages.
“The cost of education should be determined by the value of education obtained and service rendered to our country, rather than an affiliation with an institution,” explained Nyoro. Providing students in private colleges with funding opportunities available at HELB, he added, will be an important step towards ensuring that no bright student is left behind just because of financial struggles.
Nyoro noted that a major factor critical for implementation of the country’s agenda towards growth will be well-trained professionals in such areas as health and technology. He stated that withholding financial aid to students in private colleges goes against the state’s agenda of developing human capital.
Presently, HELB mainly offers financial aid in the form of loans and bursaries to students pursuing higher education in public universities and TVET colleges. Although the funding regime has expanded over the years to benefit more students, most students in private colleges do not benefit from government financial aid.
Therefore, students in private colleges have no choice but to use personal savings, family support, or commercial borrowing to finish their college education. Other students do not make it to college because of financial difficulties. Nyoro urged policymakers to take stock of the current framework used by HELB in order to respond to the realities of higher education in contemporary Kenya. He noted a more inclusive funding model would not only benefit students but would go a long way towards ensuring the country is well-equipped with the right professionals to Mnáge productive growth.
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