HELB Opens 2025/2026 Loan and Scholarship Application for University, TVET Students
- HELB officially opened loan and scholarship applications for 2025/2026, targeting 2024 KCSE candidates joining university and TVET institutions
- Education CS Julius Ogamba announced KUCCPS placement results a day earlier, setting the stage for funding applications by newly admitted students
- First-time and continuing students were instructed to use specific portals and apps, with a clear deadline to prevent delays in the September intake
TUKO.co.ke journalist Harry Ivan Mboto has over three years of experience reporting on politics and current affairs in Kenya
As students prepare to join universities and colleges in September, the race to secure government funding is now underway.
Source: UGC
The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) has opened applications for loans and scholarships for the 2025/2026 academic year.
The opportunity targets undergraduate and TVET students, particularly those who sat their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) in 2024 and have since been placed in various institutions.
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Who is eligible and how to apply 2025/2026 HELB loan
In its public notice issued on Wednesday, July 2, HELB advised first-time applicants to use the Higher Education Financing (HEF) portal at (www.hef.co.ke).
Students who have previously received HELB support are required to submit their subsequent applications either through the HELB mobile app or by dialling *642#.
The board urged eligible students to apply as early as possible to avoid last-minute hitches and ensure their loans and scholarships are processed in time for the September 2025 intake.
The application deadline has been set for August 31.
"Big news alert! The 2025–2026 first-time and subsequent applications for undergraduate and TVET loans and scholarships are now open. Apply via www.hef.co.ke for first-time applicants or dial *642# or use the HELB App for continuing students," read part of HELB's statement.
These funds are designed to support both tuition and upkeep costs for learners in public and private universities.
They also support students in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, under the government’s restructured funding model.
Has KUCCPS released 2025 placement results?
The launch of the HELB application window closely followed the release of placement results by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS).
On Tuesday, July 1, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba addressed the press in Nairobi, confirming that 201,695 out of 244,563 KCSE 2024 candidates who qualified for university entry had applied for placement.
In total, KUCCPS has placed 310,502 students in various programmes across universities and colleges.
The placements were drawn from a pool of applicants with different qualifications, though the majority were 2024 KCSE candidates.
Source: UGC
HELB 80% penalty waiver: Who qualifies and how to apply
In a related development, HELB rolled out a nationwide campaign in June to encourage loan repayments among past beneficiaries.
As part of the initiative, the agency offered an 80% penalty discount to borrowers who cleared their entire outstanding balance within June and July. The campaign was aimed at improving cash flow to support future students under the fund.
The move came as HELB revealed that over 300,000 graduates had yet to begin repaying their loans, contributing to a 35% default rate as of April.
The board also announced plans to partner with law enforcement to track down defaulters both locally and abroad. HELB listed several repayment options, including USSD code *642#, the HELB Mobile App, employer check-off systems, and the official HELB portal.
Proofreading by Jackson Otukho, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
