Learners joining universities and TVET institutions under the New Higher Education Funding Model are expected to receive their HELB loan disbursement from August 15, the government has said.
In a statement on Thursday, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba said the disbursement will be released in line with school reopening and in phases.
He added that the government has increased HELB’s annual funding from Sh36 billion to Sh41 billion, in a move aimed at facilitating a smooth transition for new students.
“To ensure no student is left behind, the Government has increased HELB’s annual funding from Sh36 billion to Sh41 billion, a significant boost of Sh5 billion. Of this, Sh13 billion has already been released to support tuition and upkeep for students, while Sh16.9 billion has been allocated to the Universities Fund for Scholarships,” he stated.
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“These funds will be released in phases to ensure a smooth transition into University/TVET College and to help students settle into their academic journey without interruption,” he added.
Under the funding model, the Ministry expects to support around 201,695 first-year university students and over 237,000 TVET trainees for the upcoming academic year.
As of July 31st, a total of 129,403 university students and 60,976 TVET trainees had submitted their applications under the Student-Centred Funding Model (SCFM).
CS Ogamba encouraged all eligible students who have not applied to do so before the application portal closes on August 31, 2025.
