Relief for university students as Gov’t increases HELB fund to Ksh.41B

Education CS Julius Migos Ogamba said the increase is part of the government’s efforts to ensure that “no student is left behind” due to financial constraints.The ministry confirmed that both HELB and.....

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The Kenyan government has significantly increased funding for higher education, allocating Ksh.41 billion to the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) for the 2025/2026 academic year. This increase aims to ensure all eligible students have access to financial support for their studies.

The total funding for HELB has increased by Ksh.5 billion, from Ksh.36 billion to Ksh.41 billion.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba announced the fund increase and detailed the disbursement plans.
Ksh.13 billion has already been released for tuition and upkeep, with Ksh.16.9 billion allocated to the Universities Fund for scholarships.
HELB loans for first-year university students will be disbursed starting August 15, 2025.
As of July 31st, 129,403 university students and 60,976 TVET trainees had applied under the Student-Centred Funding Model (SCFM).
Applications for support close on August 31, 2025.