The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) has announced that student loan applications will open in the second week of July for students joining universities and colleges nationwide.
According to HELB CEO Geoffrey Monari, this timeline depends on the completion of placement exercises by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS). He made this announcement during an interview on the Sema na Spox segment on KBC on May 28.
“I want to assure all students, parents and stakeholders that they should be able to apply for their loans online when we open. We are just waiting for KUCCPS to complete their placement so that we can open, most probably by the second week of July,” he stated.
Monari confirmed that the online application portal will be activated once KUCCPS finalizes the placement process for first-time applicants. He also mentioned that HELB will announce the opening dates for continuing students.
This update comes as KUCCPS continues managing university and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) placements following extensions to its application windows. The university application portal will remain open until June 1, while the TVET application window will close on June 8 ahead of the September intake.
Meanwhile, Monari assured students facing financial barriers to higher education that the board will continue supporting learners under the new funding model, noting that all eligible students are currently receiving loans.
“In the old funding model, not all students used to get loans. Now all the students are getting loans. I want to give the commitment that this shall continue,” he said.
When the portal opens, first-time HELB applicants will need to register on the student portal via the official website. They will be required to provide personal and academic details, including KCPE and KCSE index numbers, a valid email address, telephone number, passport photo, National ID, birth certificate (if a minor), parents’ ID numbers, guarantor information, and a copy of any secondary school sponsorship letter.
For subsequent applications, students can apply through the student portal, the HELB mobile app, or the USSD service.
According to the national budget estimates for 2026/27, the government is committed to supporting higher education funding. Monari noted that the board continues to explore alternative funding mechanisms beyond Treasury allocations and loan recoveries to sustain student financing programs.
Regarding loan repayment, Monari clarified that repayment is not limited to graduates employed in government. Any graduate in gainful employment is required to begin repayment, while unemployed and low-income graduates may apply for penalty waivers subject to verification of their employment status.