THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BURSARY DEMAND AND AMOUNT DISBURSED TO SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN BUNGOMA COUNTY OF KENYA

Secondary school education is very critical in any education system because of the crucial role it plays in catalyzing national development. Consequently, maintaining a high student enrolment at this level should be a priority for all countries. The purpose of this study was to investigate equity in bursary allocation in relation to internal efficiency of secondary schools in Bungoma County, Kenya. The objectives of the study were: to determine the relationship between Bursary demand and amount disbursed to secondary school students. The study employed a mixed method research design. The sample size was 48 principals, 9 CDF managers, 5 bank managers and 883 students. Data was collected through questionnaires and document analysis. Qualitative data were analyzed through thematic narration, while quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics (multiple regression model and Pearson correlation). The study findings indicated that there was a strong significant relationship between Bursary amount applied and amount received. The study concluded that as the amount of bursary allocation to recipients increased so did the students’ performance with implication that higher bursary awards enables students to remain in school and attend lessons and they are more likely to perform better. Bursary disbursements were more or less the same between male and female students. The study recommended that children of the poor echelons of the society should be assisted to access the extra county schools through systematic measures that allow them to progress and perform well from primary schools. Article visualizations: