Date of publication:

08/21/2025

Kenya

Do domestic laws and policies provide access to tertiary and other forms of post-secondary education for forcibly displaced and stateless persons?

ANALYSIS

Assessment by population

IDPs
Refugees
Analysis

The policy on access to higher education and generally, post-secondary schools' educations do bar access by refugees and asylum seekers to higher education training institutions. Refugees have access to centralized placement to higher education institutions by the Kenya Universities and Colleges central placement service. Refugees with financial support can access post-secondary education and certification without restrictions. However, refugees do not have access to government subsidies and public supported student financing and student loans that Kenyan nationals benefit from. In addition, some refugee students may face challenges in using refugee documentation, including access to internships and academic attachments.

    LAW & POLICY

    Related provisions of domestic law or policy

    The technical and vocational education and training act

    Legal provision

    Standards in Training:

    (1) The Authority shall, in consultation with stakeholders— (a) develop standards and guidelines for training institutions; (b) develop a national training system that includes programmes, curricula, examinations, certification and accreditation; (c) assure quality and relevance in programmes of training; and (d) establish a system for monitoring and evaluating the quality and relevance of training.

    Higher Education Loans Board Act

    Legal provision

    Article 6 - Functions of the board

    (1) The Board may— (a) accept or reject any application for a loan; (b) grant a loan to any student and in so granting impose conditions, demand security and require repayment in instalments at such times and within such periods as the Board deems fit: Provided that and subject to the provisions of this section the Board may upon the request by any student to whom a loan has been granted at any time vary— (i) the condition subject to which the loan was made; (ii) any security given in relation to the loan; (iii) any of the terms of repayment of the loan. (2) Where the Board has resolved to make a loan to any eligible student, the Board shall notify the applicant in writing, and require him within a specified period not exceeding six months to comply with any conditions and provide any security which the Board may have imposed or demanded. (3) Where any applicant fails to comply with the requirement of the Board notified to him under subsection (2) within the prescribed period, the application shall be deemed to have lapsed. (4) Where in granting a higher education loan to any student the Board considers it prudent to request for a guarantor to guarantee any loan granted to a student, in case of any default by the loanee in the repayment of the loan any guarantor who has guaranteed any such loan, shall automatically and fully be liable to pay to the Board all or any loan together with interest accrued and outstanding owed to the Board by the loanee, as shall be notified to the guarantor by the Board. (5) Where a guarantor who has been notified by the Board under subsection (4) fails or refuses to repay such loan together with any interest accrued thereon, the guarantor shall be guilty of an offence and liable to criminal prosecution or civil proceedings or both in accordance with the provisions of this Act.