The Ministry of Education has extended the deadline for first-time university students and TVET trainees seeking government funding, giving eligible applicants who missed the original cut-off an additional three weeks to submit their applications. Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba announced the extension on Thursday, September 3, directing the Universities Fund and the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) to keep the application window open until September 21, 2026. The initial deadline was August 31. Ogamba said the decision was made after the ministry established that some eligible students and trainees had been unable to complete their applications within the initial period. By the August 31 deadline, the government had received 789,422 funding applications, according to the Education Ministry.
The extension applies to first-time applicants joining universities and TVET institutions. Students who had not submitted applications during the initial window can now use the additional period to seek consideration for government financial assistance.
Ogamba clarified that applications submitted during the extended period will continue to be assessed under the Student-Centred Funding Model. The clarification comes as Parliament considers the Tertiary Education Placement and Funding Bill, 2026, which proposes changes to the way higher education funding is administered. The proposed legislation would establish a new framework for tertiary education financing, but it has not yet replaced the system currently in use. Ogamba said transitional arrangements towards the proposed Universal Access and Funding Framework would only be implemented after Parliament passes the Bill. Until then, first-time applicants will be processed under the existing funding model. The Student-Centred Funding Model assesses applicants according to their individual circumstances and financial need when determining the assistance they qualify for.
The ministry also reported that KSh22.12 billion had been disbursed in first-semester and first-term funding to continuing university students and TVET trainees. The figure covers learners already within the higher education system and is separate from the opportunity now being provided to first-time applicants who had not applied by August 31. The extension comes as universities and TVET institutions continue receiving new students for the 2026/2027 academic year. For applicants who missed the original deadline, the additional window provides more time to complete the funding process while the government and Parliament work on proposed reforms to the broader financing system.
The Ministry has urged eligible first-time university students and TVET trainees who have not yet applied to submit their applications before the new deadline. The application window will close on September 21, 2026, after which applications will continue to be handled according to the applicable government funding procedures. The extension does not amount to an automatic award of funding. Applicants must still meet the relevant eligibility requirements and undergo the assessment process under the current funding model. For now, the key change is the additional time available to those who missed the August deadline, while the proposed new tertiary education funding framework remains subject to parliamentary consideration.