The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) has opened applications for Partial Postgraduate Scholarships in the 2026/2027 academic year.
In a notice on Thursday, July 30, HELB invited eligible students pursuing master's and PhD studies to apply for the scholarships.
The board noted that the scholarships are available to Kenyan students enrolled in public and private universities recognized by the Commission for University Education (CUE).
“The Higher Education Loans Board applications for the 2026–2027 Postgraduate partial scholarships are now open.
“Eligible applicants are Kenyan students enrolled for master's and PhD programs in local Public or Private Universities recognized by the Commission for University Education [CUE],” read the notice.
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According to HELB, successful master's applicants will receive a Ksh200,000 scholarship, tenable for two years, while PhD students will receive Ksh450,000, tenable for three years.
To qualify for the scholarship, applicants must have attained at least a Second-Class Upper Division in their undergraduate studies and possess a valid admission letter from a university for a STEM and/or Agriculture-related course.
HELB also mentioned that applicants who previously benefited from its loan programme must either be actively repaying their loans or have fully cleared the outstanding balance before applying.
“If a past HELB loan beneficiary, the applicant must be repaying his/her loan or has cleared the loan,” HELB stated.
How to Apply
Interested postgraduate students are required to complete the 2026/2027 Postgraduate Scholarship Application via www.hef.co.ke and submit it online.
The board said the applicants will be required to pay a non-refundable application fee of Ksh3,000 via the eCitizen platform.
Further, HELB warned prospective applicants against fraudsters claiming to facilitate scholarship applications or guarantee awards of scholarships.
“Beware of fraudsters purporting to represent HELB and charging applicants to either apply on their behalf, fast-track the application or guarantee the award of the scholarship. All processing is automated and is done by HELB,” the notice added.
The deadline for submitting applications for the scholarships is August 31, 2026.
This comes weeks after HELB opened applications for first-time applicants seeking loans and scholarships for the 2026/2027 academic year.
In a public notice on Friday, July 10, HELB invited eligible students joining universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions to apply.
“2026/2027 First-Time HELB Applications are now open! Ready to start your higher education journey?
“Eligible first-time applicants can now apply for Undergraduate and TVET Loans and Scholarships,” read the notice in part.
The board urged prospective applicants to submit their applications as early as possible and to follow the prescribed application guidelines.
“Apply early and follow the application guidelines carefully,” HELB added.
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