The government has extended the deadline for first-time university students and TVET trainees to apply for tertiary education funding, giving thousands of eligible applicants another opportunity to secure financial support.
In a statement issued on Thursday, September 3, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba directed the Universities Fund and the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) to reopen the application window until September 21, 2026.
The initial application period expired on August 31, 2026, after the government received 789,422 applications from students seeking funding.
The Ministry of Education said the extension was necessary after recognising that some eligible students and trainees had been unable to submit their applications before the original deadline.
“Recognising that some eligible students and trainees may not have met the initial deadline on account of various causes, the Universities Fund and the Higher Education Loans Board have been directed to extend the application window for all eligible applicants, to 21st September, 2026,” Ogamba stated.
The extension provides first-time applicants joining universities and TVET institutions with additional time to submit their funding applications.
The ministry urged all eligible students who had not applied to take advantage of the extended window and submit their applications before the new deadline.
Government Reveals Ksh22.12 Billion Disbursement
The announcement also provided an update on the government's funding programme, with the Ministry revealing that Ksh22.12 billion had already been disbursed to continuing university students and TVET trainees.
The funds cover first-semester or first-term funding for students and trainees who are already enrolled in tertiary institutions.
The government further clarified that applications by first-time applicants will continue to be assessed under the current Student-Centred Funding Model.
This comes as Parliament considers the Tertiary Education Placement and Funding Bill, 2026, which is expected to provide for a transition to the proposed Universal Access and Funding Framework.
The ministry said appropriate transitional mechanisms would be implemented once Parliament passes the Bill.
The latest extension is therefore expected to give students who missed the August 31 deadline a final opportunity to seek government support for their university or TVET education. The new deadline is September 21, 2026.
Meanwhile, the ministry has directed higher education institutions to admit first-year students as the government works to finalise funding arrangements. The move comes amid concerns among students, parents and institutions over the pending changes and delays in disbursing funds for the 2026/2027 academic year.
First-time applicants who failed to apply during the initial window have been encouraged to take advantage of the extension and submit their funding applications before the new deadline.
