Govt disburses Ksh9.46B HELB loans for students
By William Muthama, August 19, 2025The Ministry of Education has announced the release of Ksh9.46 billion in Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) funding to support more than 300,000 university students across the country.
In a statement on Tuesday, Cabinet Secretary for Education Julius Migos Ogamba confirmed that the funds will cover both tuition and upkeep needs for learners in public and private universities.
“We are pleased to notify parents, guardians and university students that the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) has, as of today, disbursed a total of Kshs9.46 billion in financial support to 309,178 university students,” he said.
Fund breakdown shared
According to the ministry, the disbursement includes Ksh5.76 billion earmarked for tuition fees and Ksh3.7 billion for student upkeep.
The move comes at a time when many students have raised concerns over delays in loan allocations, which in past years disrupted academic progress.
Ogamba noted that the government remains committed to ensuring education is not disrupted by financial barriers.
“The Government will continue to provide the requisite funding to ensure that higher education remains accessible and affordable and that no student is left behind on account of financial limitations,” he added.
Students advised
The ministry further urged students to confirm their loan status through the official HELB platform.
“Students are advised to check their HELB portals to confirm receipt of the funds and to access detailed information regarding their individual HELB loan accounts,” the Cabinet Secretary stated.
The disbursement follows the government’s recent announcement to raise HELB funding by Ksh5 billion from Ksh36 billion to Ksh41 billion.
According to the Ministry, it will be directed towards student tuition and upkeep. The remainder will be allocated to scholarships.
In terms of figures, the Ministry revealed that Ksh13 billion would go towards students’ tuition, while the remaining Ksh16.9 billion would be directed to the Universities Fund to support scholarships for qualifying students.