Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) offices. /FILE
The Higher Education Loans Board has continued to encourage first-time applicants to submit their applications for loans and scholarships ahead of the start of the 2026–2027 academic year in September.
The application window for first-time applicants opened on July 13, with students joining universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions being urged to prepare all the required documents before applying for government funding through the Higher Education Fund (HEF).
Under the current student-centred funding model, learners placed in public universities, private universities and TVET institutions by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) are eligible to apply for government scholarships and student loans.
Funding is awarded on the basis of financial need after applicants undergo a means-testing process.
To help first-time applicants navigate the process, HELB has outlined the documents and information students should have ready before beginning the online application.
Applicants must first have a valid email address and a mobile phone number registered under their own national identification number.
They will also need their KCPE and KCSE index numbers, together with the year they sat the examinations.
A recent passport-size photograph should be available in JPEG, JPG or PNG format for upload during the application process.
Students are also required to upload a copy of their National ID card or Maisha Card, showing both the front and back.
Applicants must provide valid bank account details or a valid M-Pesa number registered under their own ID number, as this is where approved funds may be disbursed.
Students applying as minors should have a copy of their birth certificate in PDF format.
Those who received sponsorship while in secondary school are required to upload a copy of their sponsorship letter in PDF format.
Parent and guarantor requirements
HELB has also listed several details applicants will need from their parents or guardians.
Students should have their parents' National ID numbers and mobile phone numbers registered under those IDs.
Where a parent is deceased, applicants should upload a copy of the death certificate in PDF format.
Every applicant must also provide the ID numbers and registered mobile phone numbers of two guarantors. The guarantors can be the applicant's parents.
HELB advises applicants to gather all the required information and documents before logging into the HEF portal, as having everything ready makes the application process smoother and reduces the likelihood of incomplete submissions.
Students who qualify for funding are encouraged to apply early rather than wait until the deadline.
This allows enough time to resolve any technical issues or upload missing documents before the application window closes.
