The government has extended the deadline for first-time university students and TVET trainees to apply for tertiary education funding following the expiry of the initial application window.
In a statement issued on Thursday, September 3, 2026, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba said the initial application period, which closed on August 31, had attracted 789,422 funding applications.
Ogamba said the Universities Fund and the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) had been directed to reopen the application window to give eligible students and trainees who missed the deadline another opportunity to seek financial support.
The extended application period will run until September 21, 2026.
“All eligible first time applicants in universities and TVETs are invited to promptly apply for funding within this extended window,” Ogamba said.
The Education CS also revealed that the government had already disbursed Ksh22.12 billion in first semester and term funding to continuing university students and TVET trainees.
The extension is expected to benefit students who were unable to submit their applications before the August 31 deadline due to various circumstances.
Current funding model to remain in use
The Ministry clarified that applications submitted during the extended period will be assessed under the Student-Centred Funding Model currently in operation.
According to the ministry, transitional arrangements towards the Universal Access and Funding Framework (UAFF) will only be implemented after Parliament passes the Tertiary Education Placement and Funding Bill, 2026.
Ogamba urged all eligible first-time applicants who had not yet applied to take advantage of the extended window and submit their applications before the new September 21 deadline.
The government has continued to use the student-centred model to determine the level of financial support available to learners based on their assessed needs and circumstances.
