What appears to have been a major oversight has come back to haunt the higher education sector. It is about the funding of university education, where the Higher Education Loans Board (Helb) plays a pivotal role. Since its establishment, Helb has enabled many needy students to access university education. To apply for loans, the young people must produce their national identity cards.
It is no problem for the majority of the students, who, having turned 18, have national IDs. What might have escaped the attention of the education authorities who devised the loan scheme is the possibility of having children below 18, and, therefore, without IDs, getting admitted to university.
The loan award is a legal agreement between Helb and the recipient, who must have attained the age of majority, 18 years. Minors cannot get into such a pact as they lack the ID, which is the required proof of identity.
There must be an increasing number of such cases as more younger students sit the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exam.
They should not be blocked from accessing what they really deserve. This is what has prompted some politicians to appeal to Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha to intervene and ensure that they are not discriminated against on the basis of being underage.
Their call makes a lot of sense. Some of these students may just be a few weeks short of their 18th birthday but are locked out of a reliable government-subsidised loan scheme. It simply does not make sense.
As a solution, the politicians want Helb regulations reviewed so that these younger students can also access the loans and join universities.
There must be many ideas on how to resolve the matter. Is it possible for example, for parents or guardians to apply for loans for the underage students and transfer the legal responsibility to them as soon as they turn 18? Rules should not perpetuate a wrong.
Since more younger people are taking the KCSE exam, it is important that this matter is promptly addressed.
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