Title:
AN ANALYSIS OF HELB SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS CRITERIA ON LOAN AWARDS TO SELF-SPONSORED STUDENTS IN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN KENYA

Authors:
Musera Geoffrey Ababu ,Kenya

Abstract:
Studies done in Kenya have faulted the higher education loan scheme on accounts that it disproportionately favours the children of well-to-do families. However, these studies to a larger extent were limited to government sponsored students despite the fact that there has been a growing number of students seeking enrolment into self-sponsored programmes (SSPs) as well as HELB funding. This paper provides empirical evidence on equity in financing self-sponsored students in Kenyan public universities using students loaning scheme. The study targeted 16,082 fourth year self-sponsored loan recipients in seven public universities before the enactment of the University Bill 2012. A sample of 536 loan recipients was drawn to provide data for the study. The results of the multiple regression analysis after controlling for all the variables in the model indicate a recipient’s SES was significant in explaining the variations in the amount of loan awarded to self-sponsored recipients. This is a good indication that HELB loan allocations to self-sponsored students in public universities in Kenya are equitable.