Additional Fees Allocation To Students By HELB

61,000 first year university students will miss out on the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) funding this year.

According to Helb only around 44,000 first-year students will benefit this year out of 105,000 applicants.

Kenya University Students Organization (Kuso) president Jesse Saruni is calling for more funding.

The current rate of inflation and high cost of living means the current average of Ksh 40,000 annual disbursement is insufficient to sustain students for a year. 

“If first-year students will not receive Helb funds, they will be unable to register for their units. They will not be able to cater for their upkeep and will not afford food in campus,” Mr. Saruni said. 

Kuso represents students from the 34 public universities and their constituent colleges.

The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service placed 123,963 students who scored C+ (plus) and above in universities. Some 124,258 others were placed in technical and vocational education and training institutions.

During the just concluded election campaigns H.E President William Ruto had promised during his election campaigns to double Helb funding from the current Sh11 billion to Sh22 billion and make the loans interest-free.

This petition calls for:

1. Additional 2.44 Billion allocation to HELB by The Treasury to facilitate loans for the 61000 students.   

2. Intervention by the Office of The President in ensuring the funds shortfall is met and disbursed.

3. The Education Committee at the National Assembly to adopt the Ministry of Education recommendations on increasing the students disbursement to Kes 200,000 per year from the current average of Kes 40,000 per year for first year students and Kes 43,000 per year for continuing students.

4) The Board should make Helb accessible to Diploma students.

5) Provision of HELB Loan Liability certificate for interview purpose in place of HELB Compliance Certificate for those with student loans. This will ensure people who defaulted for various reasons like lack of income are able to access employment. It will also notify employer that they will need to ensure compliance upon employment.

6) Government to make 40% of HELB Disbursement to be a grant and 60% to be loan.