The window targets students who were recently placed but wish to transfer to other institutions. /AI ILLUSTRATIONThe inter-institution transfer window for students seeking to change their university or TVET placement closes on Friday, August 14, as institutions prepare for the September intake.
The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) opened the transfer application period on July 17, giving students placed in universities and TVET institutions an opportunity to reconsider their placements and move to institutions offering their preferred programmes.
The Ministry of Education and KUCCPS extended the transfer period from two weeks to 30 days to give students more time to align their placements with their career goals and make well-considered academic choices.
The window targets students who were recently placed but wish to transfer to other institutions, subject to meeting the minimum entry requirements and the availability of vacancies in their preferred programmes.
Students may have missed their preferred courses because of competition for limited government-sponsored slots, cluster-point requirements or errors during the application process.
Applicants who do not secure their preferred courses are automatically considered for their other choices, provided they meet the minimum requirements and vacancies are available.
However, students who fail to secure any of their selected programmes remain unplaced for that placement round and are allowed to make fresh applications during the transfer window.
KUCCPS-placed students from the 2023, 2024 and 2025 KCSE cohorts are eligible to apply for transfers, provided they meet the cut-off points for their preferred programmes.
KUCCPS has urged eligible students wishing to change their institutions or programmes to complete the process before the deadline, as successful transfers depend on available spaces at the receiving institutions.
The placement agency placed 293,869 students in degree programmes, Level 6 diploma courses, Level 5 craft certificate courses and Level 4 artisan certificate programmes in the 2026-27 academic calendar.
Of those placed, 8,915 students who qualified for degree programmes opted to pursue non-degree courses.
The 2026 placement cycle has been marked by intense competition for some of the country's most sought-after programmes, particularly education and medicine.
KUCCPS chief executive officer Mercy Wahome said in a television interview that about 40 per cent of applicants opted for education-related courses.
She also said medical training institutions received about 6,500 applications for only 702 available slots in medicine, highlighting the competition for limited spaces in the sector.
The transfer window provides students with another opportunity to review their placement decisions before reporting to their respective institutions for the September intake.
