It is to the best knowledge that the scrapping of the Higher Education Loans Board fund has been hinted, and as the Swahili people say, where there is smoke , there is fire; and also what is being said is there and if not it is coming.
President William Ruto is yearning to phase out this ever existing fund since the colonial era.
The Higher Education Loans Board dates back early 1950s when the then colonial Government awarded loans under the then Higher Education Loans Funds (HELF) to Kenyans pursuing higher education in the recognized institution.
The board's main function is to disburse loans, bursaries and scholarships to Kenyan students pursuing higher education in the recognized institution as well they recover loaned ouut funds and they establish revolving fund.
In as much the fund is being misused by the students at higher levels of study , and also as some finds no importance of these funds in the education system, there is no solid rigid to do away with this fund.
As we speak of scrapping off the fund, I met a total orphan who's a student from one of the universities in the Southern Nyanza. He narrated to me how he uses the fund to cater for his fee.
" I use the HELB funds to pay fee and the remaining part as my upkeep, at times I opt for bursaries from this board to pay fee," Says Jeff.
Since Jeff is not from a well off family, he totally depends on the HELB funds at the University.
The fund have been used by the students for different purposes, as some pay fees, some uses it to subsidize their parent's or guardian's part in the fee, some take part of it to set up business to keep them stay through the University life.
The abolishing of this fund will not help in the long run if no alternative options is provided. A poor student who depends on this fund will be a beggar to drive his or her fee payment, such a learner may end up terminating his or her studies.
The university education will therefore be left for the rich as the poor will have no option but to remain at their homes after finishing their O levels.
The intention of scrapping the HELB fund should be looked into deeply. The parliament should not fail the students who they represent, when the matter shall have been tabled before it. They have the mandate to abolish the idea. Let the great brains; the brains of the empire in the education sector be involved to consider the pros and cons of abolishing the fund.
Let the students be involved in this before it be phased out, thorough public participation is required, thanks to democratic process.
By Glen
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