After working so hard to qualify for university admission, it is quite unfair for the students to find themselves in a quandary over funding.

 The country needs high-calibre manpower, which is possible through higher education. It is, therefore, quite disappointing that the students joining universities this year have been stunned by a new fee demand. They have been asked to pay up to Sh50,000 to secure admission.

This is money the poor families can only dream about. Some students may not be able to take up their places as the Higher Education Loans Board (Helb) has not yet released the funds.

The freshers are reportedly required to pay mandatory fees ranging from Sh23,000 to Sh50,000. Paying registration fees upfront through an online application portal is a surprising new development. Officials have explained it is due to Helb’s delays in disbursing loans and scholarships. Parents are frustrated over this unexpected financial burden, with some having to borrow from financial institutions.

The funding crisis has been raging since the introduction over two years ago of a new model that categorised applicants into various groups according to their economic status. Before it flopped, some students had opted for cheaper courses than what they had actually qualified for.

Others did not bother to apply for admission, unsure of continuing funding after the first year.

Under the old Helb system, students admitted to the same courses were entitled to uniform funding irrespective of their families’ social status. They were not required to pay any money on admission and would receive funds for their needs. The students should be enabled to get into the courses they qualified for.

The upfront payments demand comes barely weeks after the celebration of university fee reductions of between 15 per cent and 40 per cent to make higher education more affordable. They apply to both new and continuing students. Now, students from poor families risk being locked out. The universities should review the decision as Helb urgently releases the delayed loans and scholarships.