Govt announces when HELB loans will be disbursed
By Nancy Marende, July 31, 2025The government has announced that the disbursement of Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) funds to first-year university students will commence on August 15, 2025, aligning with the reopening of universities.
In a statement released by the Ministry of Education on Thursday, July 31, 2025, the government stated that the funds will be disbursed in phases to ensure a smooth transition into university/TVET college and to help students settle into their academic journey without interruption.
“We are pleased to confirm that the government has facilitated both HELB and the Universities Fund to disburse funds to universities and students. Indeed, the disbursement of HELB loans for first-year university students will begin on 15th August 2025, in line with the reopening of universities,” read the statement in part.
Further, the government reiterated its commitment to ensuring equitable access to higher education for all deserving learners, regardless of their financial background.
“The Ministry of Education wishes to reassure all Kenyans, especially students, parents, guardians, and our learning institutions, of the government’s strong and ongoing commitment to supporting access to higher education for all deserving learners.”
In addition, the ministry revealed that the Universities Fund has also started disbursing first-quarter scholarships for the 2025/2026 financial year to all public universities.
Applications for government loans and scholarships under the Student-Centred Funding Model (SCFM) are still ongoing for the 2024 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) cohort placed by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS).
So far, 129,403 university students and 60,976 TVET trainees have submitted their applications successfully.
The application portal will remain open until August 31, 2025, and the government is urging all eligible students who have not yet applied to do so before the deadline.
HELB allocation
Additionally, the Ministry has increased HELB’s annual allocation from Ksh36 billion to Ksh41 billion to reinforce, marking a Ksh5 billion boost.
Of this, Ksh13 billion has already been released for tuition and student upkeep, while Ksh16.9 billion has been allocated to the Universities Fund for scholarships.
In total, the SCFM is expected to benefit 201,695 first-year university students and over 237,000 TVET trainees, in addition to 257,523 continuing students.
Furthermore, the ministry assured students and institutions that the processing of already submitted applications is ongoing to guarantee timely disbursement.
“The government remains firmly committed to ensuring that no eligible student is left behind due to financial constraints,” the ministry emphasised.