The decision to increase fees in public universities from about Sh16,000 per year to Sh48,000 is the surest way to lock out the majority —poor students — from higher learning institutions.
Public universities are in deep financial trouble, having accumulated more than Sh50 billion in debts. They must streamline their operations and reduce their bloated workforces to stay afloat. However, the fee increase is going to hamper access to what is a great social equaliser.
Affordable tuition fees and scholarships have enabled many people from poor families to access university education and improve their lives.
This fee increase is going to erode the gains that have been made in pulling young people from abject poverty to play a key role in their communities and the country.
Education is the engine for social mobility to beneficial change. It should not be the exclusive right of a few. University education should be subsidised to expand access.
This is where the specialised manpower that the country needs for development can be nurtured. This level of learning equips people with the knowledge to make informed decisions for their own benefit, their families, communities and the country as a whole.
University education is expensive and a burden to the government, but it is essential. The Higher Education Loans Board (Helb) has enabled many students, irrespective of their family status, to get educated. Other funding alternatives should be sought, promoted and harnessed.
They include philanthropy by individuals, private firms and other organisations. This works quite well in developed nations. Alumni should also be encouraged to support their former universities and wealthy people too should be approached to chip in, in exchange for naming rights, to support these institutions.
Another tested avenue is the commercialisation of programmes, including research. As schools of medicine have demonstrated through the setting up of funeral homes, there is no reason other professions cannot commercialise their programmes. Schools of business can introduce auditing and other services.
University education should be accessible for all, irrespective of their family background. This is one of the most effective ways to eliminate the glaring inequalities in communities and the country as a whole.
