Higher Education loans board Undergraduate Student Loans
The Board’s objective is to give financial support to needy Kenyan
students in institutions of higher learning both locally and abroad. However,
due to financial constraints, it is currently not in a position to provide
loans to students studying outside the country and those on self sponsored
programmes (commonly known as the ‘parallel programmes’).
Therefore, at the moment, it gives loans to the following category of
students
Needy Kenyan students who are admitted to public universities through
the Joint Admissions Board and to those attending private chartered universities.
How much loan can one get?
In accordance with the current cost sharing policy, a student is required
to pay Kshs.50,000/- per year to train at a public university. Out of
this amount, HELB can award a maximum loan and bursary of Kshs.55,000/-
and Kshs.8,000 respectively. When can one apply for a HELB loan?
HELB places advertisements in the print media in which it invites applications
for loans. Applications are usually received in the last quarter of the
year (i.e. between October and December).
The Board maintains a deadline and those applications received after the
deadline without justifiable reasons are not processed. When are loan awards released?
HELB releases loan results before the new academic year starts. Thereafter,
students who fail to secure a loan or are awarded inadequate amounts are
encouraged to appeal. Each appeal is reviewed on its own merit.
If one fails to get a loan, the following could be possible reasons: The
student may not have provided adequate information about himself /herself
as requested.
The student may have provided false information on the loan application
form.
Legal Obligations
Please be warned that students who obtain loans through misrepresentation
of facts will be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
How to apply for a loan from HELB.
Loan application forms are also obtainable from the District Education
Officers for students applying for loans for the first time while continuing
students.
may obtain the forms from the offices of Registrars or Deans of Students
in the various universities
When are the loans paid to students?
Students who qualify for loan awards will have their accounts credited
before the beginning of each Semester. Students are advised to open accounts
in the following collaborating banks: Kenya Commercial Bank
1. National Bank of Kenya
2. Kenya Post Office Savings Bank (Postbank)
3. Cooperative Bank of Kenya
Post Graduate Student Loans
The Higher Education Loans Board has the responsibility of developing
the nation’s human capital and ensuring that the nation has a large
pool of highly trained and skilled human resource to man the different
sectors of the economy, hence this category of loans is based on academic
merit rather than financial needs.
To achieve this goal the Board awards loans to about 200 postgraduate
students every year i.e. for Masters and Doctoral Studies. Doctoral students
are awarded on average Kshs. 150,000 per year while Masters students receive
Kshs.80,000/= [for humanities] and Kshs. 100,000 [for science based subjects].The
loans are available to students in both public and private chartered universities.
The loans are advertised in June every year and the beneficiaries are
announced before the beginning of the academic year in September.
A nominal fee of Kshs 1,000 is payable by each applicant
The forms must be filled with accurate and truthful information.
Duly filled forms should be either hand-delivered or sent by registered
mail to:
