Government to disburse HELB loans and Scholarships from August 15
Education
By
Mate Tongola
| Jul 31, 2025
The Ministry of Education has assured students, parents, and higher learning institutions of its continued commitment to making higher education accessible to all eligible Kenyans.
Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba announced that the Government, through the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) and the Universities Fund, will begin disbursing loans and scholarships for the 2025/2026 academic year.
"The disbursement of HELB loans for first-year university students is set to begin on August 15, 2025, coinciding with the reopening of universities," he stated.
The funds will be released in phases to ensure a smooth transition into university and TVET institutions and to support students as they settle into their academic programmes.
"Additionally, the Universities Fund has commenced disbursement of the first-quarter scholarship funds to all public universities," Ogamba added.
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The statement also confirmed that 129,403 university students and 60,976 TVET trainees admitted through KUCCPS have already submitted their applications under the Student-Centred Funding Model (SCFM).
The portal for applications will remain open until August 31, 2025, and eligible students are encouraged to apply before the deadline.
For the current academic year, the Government plans to support 201,695 first-year university students, over 237,000 TVET trainees, and 257,523 continuing students.
"So far, 64% of university applicants and 51% of the anticipated TVET intake have submitted their funding applications, with processing already underway," he revealed.
In a significant boost to student financing, the Government has increased HELB’s annual allocation from Sh36 billion to Sh41 billion.
Of this amount, Sh13 billion has already been released for tuition and upkeep, while Sh16.9 billion has been allocated to the Universities Fund for scholarships.
“The Ministry remains committed to ensuring that no eligible student is left behind due to financial constraints,” said CS Ogamba.