Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has announced that the disbursement of Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) loans for first-year university and TVET students will begin on Friday, August 15.
In a statement on Thursday, July 31, Ogamba assured students and parents that the government is prepared to facilitate a smooth transition into university and college.
"The disbursement of HELB loans for first-year university students will begin on 15th August 2025, in line with the reopening of universities. These funds will be released in phases to ensure a smooth transition into the University/TVET College and to help students settle into their academic journey without interruption.
"In addition, the Universities Fund has begun disbursing first quarter scholarship funds for this FY 2025/2026 to all Public Universities," the statement read.
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Ogamba further revealed that applications for funding are still ongoing for students who sat their KCSE in 2024 and have been placed in various institutions through the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS).
"Applications for loans and scholarships for 2024 KCSE cohort placed by KUCCPS is ongoing. As of today, 129,403 university students and 60,976 TVET trainees have successfully submitted their Scholarships and loan applications under the Student-Centred Funding Model [SCFM].
"The application portal remains open until 31st August 2025, and we encourage all eligible students who have not yet applied to do so before the deadline date," the statement added.
According to the Ministry of Education, the government expects to fund 201,695 first-year university students and over 237,000 TVET trainees under the new Student-Centred Model (SCM), in addition to the 257,523 ongoing students who continue to receive support.
"This academic year, under the SCM HELB and the Universities Fund, is expected to support 201,695 first-year university students and over 237,000 TVET trainees in addition to 257,523 ongoing students.
"So far, the submitted applications represent 64% of university applicants and 51% of those expected for the September TVET intake, reflecting good progress. Processing of the already received applications is ongoing to ensure timely funds disbursement to students and Institutions of Higher Learning," the statement further read.
To meet the growing demand for financial support, Ogamba said the government has raised HELB’s annual funding from Ksh36 billion to Ksh41 billion.
"To ensure No Student is left behind, the Government has increased HELB's annual funding from KSh 36 billion to KSh 41 billion, a significant boost of KSh.5 billion.
"Of this, KSh 13 billion has already been released to support tuition and upkeep for students, while KSh. 16.9 billion has been allocated to the Universities Fund for Scholarships," the statement concluded.
