The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) has announced adjustments to how loans for continuing university and college students will be disbursed, assuring learners that no funds have been scrapped.
In a statement issued on August 8, the board said the scholarship component will now be processed separately from upkeep funds. “The scholarship has not been removed, it has just been separated from your upkeep and will be processed differently,” HELB stated.
For now, students can only see their upkeep allocation on the portal. The upkeep amount is based on a new five-band structure and represents the total allocation for the academic year, to be paid in two equal instalments, one for each semester.
Band 1: Ksh60,000 annually (Ksh30,000 per semester)
Band 2: Ksh55,000 annually (Ksh27,500 per semester)
Band 3: Ksh50,000 annually (Ksh25,000 per semester)
Band 4: Ksh45,000 annually (Ksh22,500 per semester)
Band 5: Ksh40,000 annually (Ksh20,000 per semester)
HELB assured students that the scholarship amounts will follow in a separate disbursement and urged them to remain patient as updates are rolled out in phases.
“If your portal is still not showing any amount, stay calm. The system is being updated. Those who applied via the HELB App or by dialing *642# will receive their allocations,” the board stated, adding that more updates will be issued in the coming days.