Relief for university students as government lowers fees

The government has slashed tuition fees for all academic programmes in public universities and constituent colleges, offering fresh hope to students and parents who have struggled to keep pace with rising education costs.

As universities prepare to reopen in September, the new fee structure could mean relief from anxiety that has been hanging around for the last two years, as the government struggled to implement the new funding model.

In a notice by The Standard, Higher Education Principal Secretary Beatrice Inyangala said the revised fee structure, effective from September 1, 2025, was the outcome of months of consultations with students, education stakeholders, and the public.

Across the board, dramatic reductions have been announced. Medicine and Dentistry students, who previously paid up to Sh600,000 annually, will now pay between Sh22,371 and Sh75,000 for clinical studies.

Pre-clinical students will pay between Sh12,960 and Sh51,840. Similarly, engineering and architecture programmes, which had cost up to Sh396,000, will now range between Sh14,256 and Sh57,888.

The move is especially significant for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Brian Odhiambo, a second-year engineering student from Siaya, said he had considered dropping out after his HELB loan fell short of covering his tuition.

“I felt stuck. My mother sells vegetables and couldn’t raise the Sh390,000 fees,” he said. “Now that it’s coming down to around Sh57,000, I have hope. I might actually finish my degree.”

PS Inyangala reiterated that the reduced fees would be complemented by scholarships and loans based on individual student needs, ensuring that no one is left behind.

“Public universities are directed to update their admissions and finance portals to reflect the new rates,” she said. “We are working to maintain the financial sustainability of institutions while placing students at the heart of education financing.”

Students in non-technical courses are also set to benefit. Programmes in the humanities and social sciences, such as history, literature, religion, and political science, will now cost between Sh5,814 and Sh23,256, down from a previous high of Sh144,000.

The PS says the fee review is part of a wider strategy by the government to realign university education with national development goals.  “This is a landmark rationalization of public university fees based on the Student-Centred Funding Model,” she said.

“We are directly responding to the concerns raised by students and their families. This step affirms our commitment to ensuring affordable, accessible, and quality university education.”

Inyangala believes the new Student-Centred Funding Model, introduced last year, offers a sustainable framework that balances affordability with quality.

As the ODM Nairobi County Chairman, I fully support the Party’s Central Committee to reaffirm its commitment to the broad-based government in the spirit of .

This move underscores our unwavering dedication to unity, inclusivity, and shared progress in governance. For our country to truly prosper, we must set aside divisions and work together building a united front for the benefit of all Kenyans