Over 600,000 Kenyan Students Fail to Apply for University Placement.
In a surprising revelation, more than 600,000 students in Kenya who were eligible for higher education placements did not apply for any available slots this year. The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) reported that only around 153,000 students have secured placements in private and public universities. Additionally, 11,000 students who qualified for degree courses have chosen to pursue diploma courses instead.
Following the resolution of system challenges and the completion of three application cycles, KUCCPS managed to place 258,935 students out of a potential 895,000. Of these, 153,274 students will join public and private universities, 75,718 will enroll in public and private TVET institutions, and 10,263 will train as primary or secondary school teachers.
For the first time, KUCCPS also placed students in the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC), with 19,653 students set to join this year. Despite these efforts, over 600,000 eligible students did not apply for placement through KUCCPS.
KUCCPS CEO Dr. Agnes Wahome emphasized that applying for university and college placements is voluntary, noting that some students opt to study abroad, join the military, or pursue programs outside the government’s purview. “Applications to join both universities and colleges is a choice, not mandatory, because we know that there are students who choose to go abroad, join the military or join other programmes that are not under the government programme,” Wahome stated.
Ministry of Education Secretary Fredrick Nyambare highlighted that the KUCCPS placement system offers special consideration to eligible applicants based on gender, marginalized and minority status, and disability. Despite the available capacities in various higher learning institutions totaling 1.07 million places, including universities, TVETs, TTCs, and the KMTC, the number of students placed is significantly lower.
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In a significant update, KUCCPS revised its placement criteria for the Bachelor of Education program by removing Mathematics and English as mandatory requirements. This change led to a noticeable increase in the number of students opting for this course. “TSC requires that you just have a C+ and two teaching subjects, and we had added Maths and English in Bachelor of Education arts, and when we removed this we saw a lot of students apply. We have over 30,000 students who have gone to pursue education,” explained Wahome.
Another trend observed by KUCCPS is the gender distribution in placements: male students dominate degree program placements, while female students are the majority in TVET enrollments.
For students dissatisfied with their current placements, KUCCPS will open a transfer application window from June 5, 2024. Furthermore, those who have been placed in universities and colleges are encouraged to apply for funding from the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) promptly to prepare for their admissions later this year.
This year’s placement statistics underscore the need for continuous evaluation and adjustment of the placement system to ensure it meets the evolving needs and preferences of students, ensuring that higher education remains accessible and appealing to all qualified individuals in Kenya.
Over 600,000 Kenyan Students Fail to Apply for University Placement.
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