Kenya: Govt Extends University, Tvet Funding Application Deadline to Sep 21

What the report says

Kenya’s government has extended the deadline for first-time applicants seeking tertiary education support, giving university students and TVET trainees until September 21, 2026 to submit applications. The update was announced in a statement by Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba and reported by Capital FM, which said the original window had closed on August 31.

According to the report, the extension was intended to help eligible applicants who may have missed the earlier cutoff for reasons such as delays in completing the process. The Ministry directed the Universities Fund and the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) to keep the application channel open for the additional period.

The article said the government had already disbursed Sh22.12 billion in first-semester or first-term funding to continuing university students and TVET trainees. It also noted that 789,422 applications had been received by the original deadline. Ogamba said first-time applicants will be reviewed under the current Student-Centred Funding Model.

The report added that transitional arrangements toward the Universal Access and Funding Framework are expected once Parliament approves the Tertiary Education Placement and Funding Bill, 2026. More broadly, the extension highlights the continuing rollout of Kenya’s higher education financing system and the government’s effort to widen access for new entrants.