Have you ever dream of finding a sponsor as a student? I know education sponsorship might sound unfamiliar to you because is not common in this part of the country. Sponsorships are typical in Europe and United States where private sponsors support students from the local communities.
The term sponsorship
is less frequent in Kenya, while international students talk of finding
sponsors, Kenyan students mostly speak of finding scholarships.
In Kenya, the two main
bodies which offer scholarships to students are the Government of Kenya and
Non-governmental organizations.
If you are interested
in getting sponsors in Kenya for education, then you need to understand the
most common qualifications and the Do’s and Don’ts to get you started on your
search. Some of the most common requirements for sponsorship depending on the
type of aid you apply for are;
- You should be an orphan
- You should come from a low-income/ poor
family
- You should have a strong academic
background i.e. excellent academic performance
- You should be a particular gender, male or
female (Some scholarships are reserved only female candidates)
- You should come from a specific
demographic region e.g. the marginalized community
To find sponsors for
education in Kenya, one of these descriptions should fit you. Now that you have
this information, the next thing you need to do is to make the internet your
friend. The internet is now a central means of communicating in Kenya today,
and it is also one of the cheapest.
There are many
advertisements of scholarships online, so you only need to identify one that
you are most interested in and you are most qualified for, based on the
particular qualification criteria provided, then go ahead and make the
application. With an internet connection and dedication of time, it will not
take you long to identify a viable scholarship opportunity.
There are many
channels through which you can find sponsorship in Kenya. Some companies and
individuals offer scholarships to the best-performing students and students
from poor backgrounds.
For example, the
Equity Bank of Kenya funds exemplary students for undergraduate studies in some
of the best universities in the country and outside the country too. Equity
bank offers a scholarship to the first male and female students in each
district. Some of the common factors that cut across all sponsors are that they
look for;
- Academic merit
- Financial needs
- Equitable geographical distribution
- Character assessment
- Performance during the course period
The first and most
crucial way of finding a scholarship is to conduct research and make a list of
the potential sponsors in Kenya who are likely to fund your studies.
List of The
Leading Education Sponsors In Kenya
The top sponsors of
Education in Kenya are;
1. The Higher
Education Loans Board
This is a State
Corporation that was established by an Act of Parliament (Cap 213A) in 1995).
HELB is the leading financier of higher education in Kenya. It has the mandate
of disbursing loans, bursaries, and scholarships to students who are pursuing
higher education in recognized institutions in the country.
2. The Mastercard
Foundation Scholarship For Kenyans
This program provides
scholarship opportunities to young individuals who demonstrate academic talent.
Until 2016, the program had provided at least seven hundred million dollars for the education
and leadership, and development of more than thirty thousand young Africans.
3. The University
Of Nairobi Rockefeller Foundation Scholarship
The University of
Nairobi offers undergraduate and graduate scholarships in the fields of social
and Economic studies, Basic survival safeguards, security, and climate and
environment.
4. The Agakhan
Foundation Scholarship For Developing Countries (Masters And P.H.D)
The AgaKhan foundation
offers a limited number of postgraduate scholarships for students with
outstanding academic performance who do not have any means to finance their
studies. 50% of this scholarship is a grant.
5. Kenyatta
University OVS Scholarship Opportunities
This learning
institution puts a lot of emphasis on the social development of the students
and for this reason; it established the Orphans and Vulnerable Students
Scholarship fund to take care of the less privileged students who would like to
pursue higher education.
6. Sponsorship From
Companies
One way of getting
Education sponsors in Kenya is from companies in the country both local and
international. Getting free sponsorship from companies might sound like an
uphill task, but with the right strategy and approach, it is one of the natural
ways to find aid in the country.
It might seem like you
have to send several generic emails and make several phone calls dealing with
uninterested individuals, but if you equip yourself with the handy tips, then
the process should be much more straightforward and fruitful. The approaches to
take when sourcing for sponsors from companies are;
Target The Right
Company
Do not waste your time
sending emails and making phone calls to companies that have not communicated
that they are interested in issuing sponsorship or sponsored other students in
the past. Instead, it makes more sense to contact companies that have participated
in such programs before. This way, you can be confident that they will be
interested in your proposal.
Be Creative
Thinking outside the
box helps you to attract the companies’ attention. By offering something
different from other Kenyans who are also looking for sponsorship such as
taking advantage of their goods and services as opposed to asking for funds
directly, the firm might be triggered to choose your application over the rest.
Sponsorship from companies comes in different forms; therefore, don’t sound
like you are outright looking for money from them.
Be The Best
Employee At Work
Some employers give
study scholarships to their highly esteemed workers in Kenya. For example, they
can fund your master’s degree on the condition that upon completion, you will
return to the organization and impart the knowledge that you have acquired.
Many Non- Government Organizations, private companies, and government agencies
offer such scholarships. One of the ways of earning such scholarships is by
standing out as the best performing employees; this will increase your chances
of getting the scholarship award when you show interest.
Private Education
Sponsors In Kenya
You will need to
identify a few private sponsors for education in Kenya to increase your chances
of getting sponsorship. Some of the Sponsors of education in Kenya are private
organizations and individuals. An example is the Kenya Youth Education
Scholarship Fund that was established in 2005 as a society to address the
issues affecting the education of the youth in Kenya.
The primary source of
funds for the organization is corporations, foundations, and individuals that
share a similar viewpoint on how to address national education challenges.
Investing in young Kenyans who demonstrate academic excellence. The
organization is keen on creating a fund to guarantee its viability and
sustainability.
Sponsorship From
The Kenyan Government
A standard way of
getting higher education sponsors in Kenya and high school sponsors is by
looking out for government opportunities and support. To get funding from the
Government, you will most likely have to send applications and attend some
interviews.
Some of the
scholarship programs from the Government of Kenya include; The Ministry of
Education Bursary and Loans are accessible online from the ministry and
education department of your constituency, Secondary school bursary, and the
Presidential Bursary, though this is known to support secondary school students
in Kenya. The secondary school bursary forms are available online; you only
need to fill in all the required details and submit them.
The Presidential
Secondary School Bursary is meant for vulnerable children coming from
low-income families and orphans in secondary school and is administered by the
OVC Secretariat as a complimentary service to the CT-OVC Programme. The main
aim of the bursary scheme is to enhance secondary school enrolment and
attendance of schools by orphans and vulnerable children in Kenya.
The PSSB scheme was
started in the 2013/2014 Financial Year and is a Government contribution in
compliance to the legal requirement as broken down in the Children’s act 2001
section 7 (1), moreover as a complimentary service to the CT-OVC Programme. The
beneficiaries of this program must be aged below 18 years and enrolled in
Secondary school.
Another government
sponsorship program that you can apply for is the Kenya TIVET Bursary Scheme
offered by the Higher Education Loans Board Kenya. The program provides
bursaries to eligible students in Technical, Industrial, Vocational, and
Entrepreneurship Training tertiary institutions. The TIVET institutions
include; Technical Training Institutes, Institutes of Technology, and Public
National Polytechnics. The programmes give priority to orphans and students
from low-income families.
The Best Way To
Identify Government Sponsorship Programmes And Get Them Is By;
Be On The Lookout
You need to
continually check for new opportunities announced by the government throughout
the year. The government of Kenya has several programs put in place to provide
scholarships for Kenyan students at all stages of learning all the way from
primary school to university. You have to read newspapers, watch television
news, and keenly follow government educational conferences. You might want to give
some bias to the ministry of Education of Kenya and pay more attention to their
events and activities.
Make Your
Application Concise
When sending an email
application for a scholarship, keep your email as brief as possible. No one
wants to read lots of information; they will only spend a few seconds on your
email. Tailor it as per the instructions and just communicate about the
information that they need in deciding to grant you sponsorship. If you need
full support, make sure that comes out clearly.
Be Confident
Do not let yourself be
walked over by interviewers; shyness is not an option. From the moment you make
an application, you should remain convinced that you are good enough to get it.
If you get a chance to defend your claim, then this should boost your
confidence further, explain your goals and vision ensuring that they are in
line with those of the sponsors and you will win their hearts.
Get Good Referees
Almost all sponsorship
application forms from the Government will require you to provide references.
The process is in a bid to establish your character. Failure to get proper
referees automatically results in disqualification. For this reason, take your
time to get excellent professional references from your teachers and employers
to upper your chances of getting the desired sponsorship.
Learning
Institutions
One way of getting
College education sponsors in Kenya is from higher learning institutions. A
good number of colleges offer sponsorship to students based on academic merit
and if they are from low-income families. A majority of Kenyan students perform
exceptionally well in the secondary school examination, but they lack the
financial ability to continue with their University studies.
There are also Kenyans
who have concluded their undergraduate studies, and they wish to get
sponsorship and funding to pursue master’s or doctorate studies in the country.
Private institutions have not been left behind in this kindness either;
universities like Strathmore University and the United States Internal School
University have outstanding sponsorship opportunities for the needy and
talented students.
How To Get
Sponsorship From The Learning Institutions In Kenya
To obtain funding for
your studies from learning institutions in Kenya, you have to;
Convince Them That
You Are From A Low-Income Family
When making an
application for sponsorship from the learning institutions in Kenya, if you
form a low-income family, be sure to mention it and use it to sell yourself. No
one wants to see a brilliant young person miss out on education only because
they cannot afford the school fees.
Achieve Academic
Excellence
One proof the most
straightforward way of getting sponsorship from learning institutions is by
performing well in your academics. With this, there is a good chance that you
will be awarded a scholarship by the institution even before you make the
application or get referrals for the same. The public universities in Kenya
offer scholarships to study master’s at the institutions for the students who
get first-class honors in their undergraduate studies.
Sell Your Talent
Apart from academics,
learning institutions pay keen attention to your participation in
extra-curriculum activities such as sports and acting. If you actively
participate in games, you can use this to sell yourself and get a competitive
advantage over the other applicants. For instance, Strathmore issues
scholarships to rugby students, so you play for the school team rugby and they
pay for your tuition fee.
Finding willing education
sponsors in Kenya is not easy, but it is not impossible. There is a lot of
competition since there are many intelligent underprivileged students in the
country. You have to cut a niche for yourself by working hard and ensuring that
you register excellent results in all examinations that will allow you to
demonstrate academic excellence. Stand a higher chance of securing sponsorship
by actively participating in the extra curriculum activities.
If you get a chance to
hold a leadership position, take it and ensure that you excel at it. A lot of
time sponsors lookout for leadership qualities amongst applicants, and this
will increase your chances of getting an education sponsor. Last but not least,
get good recommendations.
Most of the time, your
potential sponsors will ask you for at least two or three references. Do not
include your family members and friends in your reference list unless asked to,
instead make it as professional as possible and ensure that you get the best
recommendation from your referees. Sponsors for university education in Kenya
require reliable referees for securing sponsorships.