The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) is set to officially open its placement portal for the September 2025 university intake in March 2025.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has confirmed. In a press statement issued on Thursday, Ogamba announced that the KUCCPS portal would be accessible to students starting in March 2025, allowing them to apply for their preferred courses at various universities across the country.
The announcement from the Education Cabinet Secretary comes as part of the regular cycle for university admissions, signaling the beginning of the application process for the September 2025 intake.
According to Ogamba, the portal will be fully functional and available to applicants who wish to secure placements for the upcoming academic year.
In addition to the university placements, the KUCCPS portal has already been open since January 24, 2025, for students seeking placements in other institutions.
These include the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC), Teacher Training Colleges, and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, catering to students applying for intakes in March and May of 2025.
This early opening of the portal is aimed at ensuring that students have ample time to complete their applications and be considered for admission into these institutions.
“In line with the established annual placement calendar, the KUCCPS portal will officially open for the September 2025 university intake in March 2025, as we continue to streamline the placement process for higher education in Kenya,” Ogamba emphasized in his statement.
Addressing concerns that have been circulating on social media regarding the reintroduction of cut-off points for university admissions, Ogamba clarified that no such changes have been made.
The government has not altered the existing system, and the criteria for university admission remain the same. He reassured the public that all students who meet the requirements would be eligible for placement in universities, with no need for additional barriers.
Ogamba explained that the minimum requirement for university admission is a mean grade of C+ (plus) for students who sat for the 2024 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE).
He confirmed that all students who obtained a C+ or higher in their KCSE exams—amounting to a total of 246,391 students—are eligible for direct entry into university.
This policy ensures that every student who meets the academic threshold will have an opportunity to pursue higher education without facing additional academic hurdles.
“The government is committed to ensuring that all 246,391 students who qualify for university admission will be placed in institutions of higher learning,” Ogamba assured. “This is in line with our commitment to expanding access to education for all qualified candidates, enabling them to realize their potential and contribute to the nation’s development.”
In a further clarification, the Education Cabinet Secretary addressed rumors circulating in certain media outlets regarding the cost of funding university education for the 2024 KCSE cohort.
Some reports had claimed that the government would require Ksh100 billion to fund the education of these students, but Ogamba dismissed these reports as inaccurate.
According to Ogamba, the actual cost for funding the university education of the more than 200,000 students who are set to join universities in September 2025 is estimated at Ksh25.85 billion annually.
This projection reflects the total funding required to support the education of these students throughout their university studies.
“Contrary to the erroneous reports, the government will not need Ksh100 billion to fund university education for the 2024 KCSE cohort,” Ogamba stated. “The correct figure is Ksh25.85 billion annually, which is the total amount required to support the education of all 246,391 students who qualify for university admission. The figure of Ksh100 billion refers to the total cost over four years, not just for a single academic year.”
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