Julius Migos, cabinet secretary for the Ministry of Education, issued a press statement addressing circulating rumors that the government would raise the minimum score required to enroll in college to a B-.
This move was expected to put nearly 90,000 students at risk. However, the CS denied the allegations made by the Standard Media, calling the news inaccurate.
The CS states that the 2024 KCSE cohort will need to have a mean grade of C+ (plus) in order to be eligible for university entrance.
“Therefore, all the 246,391 students who attained the Mean Grade of C+ (plus) and above qualify for university admission,” he added.
Below is part of the press statement by education CS Julius Migos released on 27th February 2025.
REPUBLIC OF KENYA
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
OFFICE OF THE CABINET SECRETARY
PRESS STATEMENT
For Immediate Release
Nairobi, Wednesday, 27th February, 2025
ADMISSION AND FUNDING OF THE 2024 KENYA CERTIFICATE OF SECONDARY EDUCATION COHORT
Our attention has been drawn to various erroneous reports in sections of the media regarding the Government’s position on the admission to tertiary education and funding of the 2024 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) cohort.
We wish to clarify as follows:
The Government has not re-introduced cut-off points for admission to university.
The minimum admission requirement to university, which will apply to the 2024 KCSE cohort, is the Mean Grade of C+ (plus).
Therefore, all the 246,391 students who attained the Mean Grade of C+ (plus) and above qualify for university admission.
Contrary to reports appearing in sections of the media, it will not cost Ksh. 100 Billion to fund the university education of the 2024 KCSE cohort.
The Ministrys projection is that if all the 246,391 candidates join university, Ksh. 25.85 Billion will be required to fund their education every year.
The projection of Ksh. 100 Billion will be the total cost over a four-year period.
In keeping with the annual placement calendar, the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) will open the placement portal for the September, 2025 university intake in March, 2025.
Already, the KUCCPS portal has been open since 24th January, 2025, for the placement of applicants.