The Ministry of Education has announced that the disbursement of Higher Education Loans Board (Helb) funds for first-year university and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) students will begin on August 15, 2025. The move is aimed at aligning financial support with the reopening dates of institutions of higher learning to ensure a smooth transition for new students.
In a press statement released on July 31, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba emphasized the government’s commitment to easing the financial burden for students entering university and TVET institutions. “The disbursement of Helb loans for first-year university students will begin on August 15, 2025, in line with the reopening of universities,” the statement read. “Funds will be released in phases to help students settle into academic life without interruption.”
The ministry has already begun disbursing the first-quarter scholarship funds under the Universities Fund for the 2025–26 financial year. As of July 31, a total of 129,403 university students and 60,976 TVET trainees had submitted applications under the new Student-Centred Funding Model (SCFM). The application portal remains open until August 31 for the 2024 KCSE cohort placed by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS).
Ogamba urged all eligible students who have not applied to submit their applications before the deadline. The government is targeting to support 201,695 first-year university students and over 237,000 TVET trainees, in addition to 257,523 continuing students.
To accommodate this increased demand, Helb’s annual funding has been boosted by Sh5 billion—rising from Sh36 billion to Sh41 billion. Of this amount, Sh13 billion has already been released for tuition and upkeep support, while Sh16.9 billion is allocated to the Universities Fund for scholarships.
This funding initiative follows the recent government decision to slash tuition fees across all programmes in public universities, signaling a strong push toward expanding access to higher education. The ministry reiterated its pledge that no eligible student should be left behind due to financial hardship
