State in Kenya has extended application deadline for tertiary education funding for first-time university students and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) students by three more weeks to September 21, 2026.

The extension, announced by Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba seeks to give eligible students and trainees, who did not apply before the initial deadline an opportunity to access government financial support.

The initial application window closed on August 31, 2026, with a total of 789,422 applications received for funding.

In a press statement issued, Thursday 3, 2026, Dr Ogamba noted that the extension had been approved after the state acknowledged that some eligible applicants may have been unable to submit their applications within the initial period, due to various circumstances.

“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 September 21, 2026,” Ogamba announced.

The minister urged all eligible first-time applicants joining universities and TVET institutions to take advantage of the additional period and submit their applications promptly.

The extension is expected to benefit students who may otherwise have missed-out on government funding because they did not complete the application process, before the August 31 deadline.

The Government has also disclosed that it has already disbursed Ksh22.12 billion during the first semester/term to support continuing university students and TVET trainees under the tertiary education funding programme.

Meanwhile, Ogamba reported that the applications submitted during the extended window would be processed under the Student-Centred Funding Model (SCFM), which currently guides the allocation of government financial assistance to students and trainees.

“For the avoidance of doubt, it is notified for the general information of the public that applications for funding for first-time applicants will be considered and processed in accordance with the current Student-Centred Funding Model,” he reiterated.

The cabinet secretary further clarified that the funding arrangements would subsequently transition to the Universal Access and Funding Framework (UAFF) once parliament passes the Tertiary Education Placement and Funding Bill, 2026.

“Appropriate transitional mechanisms to the Universal Access and Funding Framework shall be implemented once Parliament passes the Tertiary Education Placement and Funding Bill, 2026,” Ogamba said.

The extension comes as thousands of students prepare to begin university and TVET studies, with government funding playing a key role in enabling learners from financially constrained households to pursue tertiary education.

Under the current funding arrangement, eligible students apply for financial assistance through the relevant government agencies with the level of support determined in accordance with the applicable funding framework.

The Universities Fund and the Higher Education Loans Board are, therefore, expected to continue receiving and processing applications during the extended period.

In the meantime, the ministry of education has called on prospective beneficiaries to submit their applications within the new deadline rather than wait until the final days of the extension.

The government’s latest move also provides an opportunity for eligible students who may have experienced difficulties during the initial application period, to complete the process and be considered for funding.

The new deadline is September 21, 2026, after which applications will be handled in accordance with the prevailing government funding framework.

The extension, meanwhile, does not alter the current funding model: first-time applicants will continue to have their applications considered under the Student-Centred Funding Model until the proposed legal and policy transition to the Universal Access and Funding Framework takes effect following passage of the Tertiary Education Placement and Funding Bill, 2026.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Nancy Omondi