The 194,372 students who qualified for university admission are off to a rough start following a delay in their loan applications.
The University of Nairobi and Maseno University are scheduled to open in two weeks, yet the Higher Education Loans Board (Helb) and the Universities Fund haven’t informed students on the outcome of their loan requests.
The students who spoke to Nation said that they only have admission letters indicating the fees they are expected to pay.
After placement by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Services (Kuccps), students were instructed to apply for scholarships and loans through Helb and the Universities Fund. The placement was delinked from funding in a model that was introduced in 2023, but which has since run into headwinds.
Efforts by the Nation to get answers from Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba, Principal Secretary for Higher Education Beatrice Inyangala and Helb Chief Executive Officer Geoffrey Monari were futile. They neither responded to phone calls nor reply text messages.
Higher Education Loans Board (Helb) CEO Charles Ringera.
While addressing the media in Nairobi, the Universities Student Leaders Association of Kenya (USLA-Kenya) has called for an urgent national dialogue to address the escalating crisis in the funding of higher education, which has left thousands of students in uncertainty just weeks before university opening dates.
“We are calling for the immediate convening of a multi-stakeholder dialogue session under the Ministry of Education to respond to this Helb-centred crisis. This is not just about delays—it is a breakdown in the very architecture meant to support access to higher education for deserving students from vulnerable backgrounds,” USLA Kenya secretary-general Carel Omwoyo said.
“We were told Helb would help us, but now it’s like the system is rejecting us; you get errors like ‘ID not valid’ or ‘record not found’, and there’s no place to report or fix it,” said First Year Bachelor of Education student at the University of Nairobi Faith Nduta.
For most first-timers, the application process has been frustrating, leaving them uncertain about how they will finance their university education.
“I thought the application would be straightforward, but now I’m stuck because I haven’t even opened a bank account. It’s frustrating because I can’t proceed without it, and the deadline is fast approaching,” said Lucy Wanjiru, who is supposed to join Kenyatta University in September.
Students apply for Helb loans in Nairobi.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
For students from humble backgrounds, the government funding is the only way they can afford to step into lecture halls. The silence from Helb and Universities Fund could mean the difference between beginning their academic journey or staying home.
“I was admitted to The East African University to pursue a Bachelor of Education degree. The fees is Sh55,000 per semester, and that’s a huge burden for my parents. My father is a retired teacher, and I come from a big family — we’re barely managing. I sent an application to Helb, but the truth is, we don’t know how much will be covered. All we know is that I’m supposed to report on September 1, and that money has to be paid. Not knowing where the money will come from or whether Helb will help in time is overwhelming,” said Brian Ouma.
Last week, Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi told the National Assembly Education Committee that Helb has been allocated Sh41.2 billion in the 2025/2026 budget and Sh37.9 billion in the 2024/2025 financial year.
However, Mr Mbadi said that the long-term sustainability of the Helb scheme depends on more than just annual allocations. He called on the Ministry of Education and Helb to establish efficient systems for recovering loans from past beneficiaries to reduce reliance on annual budgetary support and ensure continued funding for future students.
“The National Treasury looks forward to the Ministry of Education and Higher Education Loans Board coming up with effective means of ensuring prompt and efficient recovery of the loans from past beneficiaries to supplement the annual allocation hence ensure sustainability of the scheme,” the CS said.
According to the higher education funding model, university students are categorised into five financial need bands, determining the proportion of support they receive from government scholarships, loans, and their own households.
Students in Band 1, considered the most vulnerable, receive 70 per cent in scholarships, 25 per cent in loans, and they are expected to contribute just five per cent from their households. Their annual upkeep loan stands at Sh60,000. On the other end, Band 5 students, deemed less needy, get 30 per cent scholarships, 30 per cent loans, and are required to contribute 40 per cent from their families, with a Sh40,000 upkeep allocation.
The model has seen some students like Felix Omondi lose valuable study time. He was placed to study for a Bachelor of Pharmacy at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology in 2024. However, he has never reported after being categorised in Band Five. He appealed and succeeded but he has now lost one year of learning.
“I scored an A– (minus) in the 2023 KCSE examinations and was admitted to study Pharmacy at JKUAT and my annual fee is Sh147,000. My father was retrenched in 2019, and we’ve been struggling ever since. After appeal, I was moved to Band Four, but it still leaves most of the financial responsibility to us,” he said.
The aspiring pharmacist has since tried organising harambees, seeking help from local Members of the Migori County Assembly, and writing to various leaders — but nothing has materialised.
“The HELB loan was my only hope, and now it’s not even confirmed, they can only pay sh40,000 per year. The balance is very high. Education was my only way out but now this is frustrating,” he said.
