Kenya’s university scholarship programme is facing a major funding shortage, with the Universities Fund projecting a Ksh.16 billion gap for the 2026/2027 financial year.

The Fund estimates that about Ksh.47 billion is needed to support eligible students, yet the current allocation stands at Ksh.30.1 billion.

The shortfall comes as demand for university scholarships continues to rise under the Student-Centered Funding Model.

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The Universities Fund expects about 608,879 students to receive scholarship support during the 2026/2027 financial year.

Acting Chief Executive Officer Dr Edwin Wanyonyi says the challenge is not only the amount of money available, but also how effectively existing funding is distributed.

He noted that some students receive support from several organizations at the same time, while others remain partly funded or receive no assistance.

Wanyonyi called for closer coordination among institutions that provide scholarships and bursaries.

He said better cooperation could help direct available resources to students with the greatest financial need.

Scholarship providers urged to work together

The funding challenge was discussed during a meeting in Nairobi that brought together government agencies, private sponsors, corporate foundations and non-governmental organizations.

Participants explored ways of improving cooperation between organizations that support university students.

One proposal involved creating a shared and secure data system to show which students are already receiving financial assistance.

The system could help providers identify funding gaps and reduce duplication of awards.

It would also make it easier to direct scholarships to students who are not receiving enough support.

Any sharing of student information would need to comply with the Data Protection Act, 2019.

Universities Fund seeks wider scholarship coverage

The Universities Fund also wants stronger partnerships between public and private organizations.

Other proposals discussed included joint student awareness campaigns, improved information sharing and additional resource mobilization.

Officials believe better coordination could increase the number of students benefiting from existing scholarship resources.

The discussions are expected to shape a longer-term framework for cooperation among scholarship and bursary providers.

The Fund says improving the distribution of financial support will be critical as more Kenyan students seek access to university education.