Students placed in universities and colleges through the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) will have an opportunity to change their institutions or academic programmes once the 2026 inter-university and inter-institutional transfer window is opened.
This follows the completion of the placement of 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) candidates to universities and tertiary institutions by KUCCPS.
The transfer exercise allows students who are not satisfied with their placement to apply for a different institution, a different course, or both.
However, approval depends on whether they meet the academic requirements for the new programme and whether the institution has available spaces.
In a move aimed at giving students more time to make informed decisions, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba announced that the transfer period has been extended from the previous two weeks to one month.
The extension is expected to allow applicants adequate time to review their placements, consult with their families and institutions, and complete the transfer process.
Requirement for inter-university transfer applications
Applicants wishing to change institution or programme must meet the minimum entry requirements, including the subject cluster requirements and cut-off points for the programme they intend to join.
In addition, the receiving institution must have available capacity before a transfer can be approved.
Eligibility is limited to students who were successfully placed by KUCCPS in universities, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions or other recognised higher learning institutions.
During the application process, students may only apply for one preferred institution and one programme at a time.
Applicants are also required to provide a valid reason for seeking the transfer. Depending on the circumstances, KUCCPS or the receiving institution may request supporting documents to verify the grounds for the application.
How to apply for transfer
The entire transfer application is conducted online through the KUCCPS Student Portal. Applicants are required to log in to the portal using their KCSE index number and examination year before accessing the transfer section.
Once logged in, students should select their preferred institution and programme, ensuring they enter the correct programme code and confirm that they meet all admission requirements before submitting the application.
A non-refundable transfer processing fee of Sh1,000 is payable through the KUCCPS portal via eCitizen. The application proceeds for processing only after a successful payment has been confirmed.
Following submission, the request undergoes several stages of review. The institution the student wishes to join first determines whether it has sufficient capacity and whether the applicant qualifies for admission.
The institution where the student was initially placed then considers the request to release the student.
KUCCPS conducts the final assessment before communicating whether the transfer has been approved or rejected.
Also Read: KUCCPS releases 2025 university placement results
