KUCCPS Opens Portal for Transfers Amid Fee Controversy

KUCCPS Opens Portal for Transfers Amid Fee Controversy

KUCCPS Opens Portal for Transfers Amid Fee Controversy

Tomorrow, June 5, marks the opening of the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) portal, which will enable students to transfer between universities and change their preferred courses. This change relates to university placements and related costs and comes amid intense congressional scrutiny and debate.

The Standing Committee on Education has demanded that all placements for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) 2023 class be revoked, according to National Assembly Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi. This directive is a result of claims that there are discrepancies in the costs associated with different courses.

“I am privy to the information that the education committee of this house has already made some declarations or directives that the Minister of Education withdraws all university admissions on account of conflicts or anomalies in the amount of fees that students are supposed to pay for various courses,” Wandayi stated during a session in the National Assembly on Tuesday.

The Committee on Education suggested that the Ministry of Education cancel all university admissions due to irregularities in the costs that the students must pay.

The CEO of KUCCPS, Mercy Wahome, verified the portal’s launch date and stated that the organization’s goal is to effectively support students’ transfers to their desired courses and schools.

For students who took the KCSE in 2023, the placement results for universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions were made public in May.

But the placement has come under fire and scrutiny, with claims that some students are being forced into classes they never wanted to take and others being put in institutions they cannot afford.

Following several complaints from parents and students, a probe into purported anomalies in fees and student placements was demanded.

According to reports, the new funding mechanism that was implemented last year was forcing students and their families to select university courses based more on affordability than on credentials and goals.

Since they are the first to use this approach, first-year students have already accrued significant fee balances, which are anticipated to rise as they continue. When the KUCCPS system opens, a lot of students and parents plan to register for inter-university transfers, as the second cohort is scheduled to start attending universities in August and September.

Wahome did, however, reassure during the results announcements in May that the procedure would go well and that all transfers would be finished by July, allowing students to report to their respective colleges in August.

The significance of applying for Higher Education Loans prior to the reporting dates was emphasized by her.

“A total of 153,000 students who qualified (76 per cent) will get the Education funding. We will ensure a seamless process so that by August all students should be settled in their schools,” Wahome stated.

According to KUCCPS, the placement process is governed by the Placement Policy and Processing Procedure, focusing on applicants’ choices, merit, and approved capacities.

Wandayi called for clarity on the matter, asking the Education Committee chaired by Julius Melly (Tinderet) to issue a statement sooner than later.

“The state of affairs obviously paints a picture of serious confusion in the universities and colleges sector,” asserted Wandayi  adding, “It is a matter that requires immediate clarification for this issue to be addressed immediately.”

134,743 candidates have been assigned to public colleges this year. Nevertheless, 47,872 pupils who received a mean grade of C+ in the 2023 KCSE and were eligible for university entrance did not select a degree program. Of them, 11,991 chose to enroll in diploma programs, leaving 35,881 qualifying students unaccounted for.

A total of 899,453 applicants took the 2023 KCSE Examination.