President William Ruto is set to form a broad-based committee that will address outstanding issues on the new university funding model adopted by his government.

In an engagement on Saturday, the Head of State revealed that the committee would include university students and stakeholders to chart a way forward to find a long-lasting solution.

Among the issues that will be discussed include; the mean testing model used to determine the amount of scholarship awarded to students. Reduction of HELB interest rates will also be considered.

Below is a detailed breakdown of Ruto’s take on issues raised by students and parents:

Inequality in categorizing students

Students: During the engagement, it was noted that some underprivileged students were getting little funding owing to the categorization done by the government.

Ruto’s Response: The president noted that the new model was introduced to benefit many Kenyans from poor family backgrounds as they would get a higher allocation for scholarships at 80 percent.

However, he acknowledged that there were outstanding issues with the model hence the need to relook at the mean testing formula applied.

“We need to improve the mean testing model so that a student who should get an 80 percent scholarship is not placed in the 50 percent category.

“I am ready to work with the students to get the model right,” he stated.

Proposal to Reduce HELB Interest Rate

Students: University students proposed to have the current HELB interest rate of 4 percent reduced to 2 percent.

Ruto’s Take: The Head of State expressed that he was willing to engage university students on the new proposal.

However, he noted that the new interest rate needed to be informed by science. Therefore, he challenged university students, especially those undertaking Actuarial Science to propose a formula for charging HELB interest rates.

Review of HELB Repayment grace period

Students: The proposal fronted by the students was for beneficiaries to begin repaying the loans after securing employment or some years after beginning employment.

In response, Ruto acknowledged that it would be prudent to give beneficiaries time to get employment before the repayment is initiated.

He, therefore, noted that he will engage the relevant agencies and the students to come up with a standard grace period that will be beneficial for the students.

Committee

The broad-based committee will be set up in the coming week and will also include vice-chancellors and Ministry of Education officials.

Discussions will be undertaken within a month. The government will implement the recommendations as students report to various institutions in September.

Ruto Gives Way Forward on University Funding Model & Reduction of HELB Interest

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On Monday, January 22, the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) had to address allegations of funds intended for students being compromised, following reports of hacking circulating on the internet.

In a widely circulated message, it was asserted that hackers had taken command of more than 5,000 student accounts.

Three days later, a sum of Ksh10 billion was disbursed by the Treasury to fund scholarships and loans for first-year students in public universities.

Per the instruction of Ezekiel Machogu, the Cabinet Secretary for Education, the funds were disbursed by the New Higher Education Funding Model.

HELB is currently guaranteeing Kenyan citizens that the funds are safeguarded, ensuring that each recipient will receive the designated sum.

“Disregard the false HELB message claiming a hack on batch numbers! Your funds are safe,” the board issued a statement.

College students were also informed that there was no urgency to visit Huduma Centres to verify the security of their accounts.

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In the recently marked post, students were alerted to the requirement for individuals who have received payment notifications from HELB to visit Huduma Centres, bringing along their national identity cards.

According to the post, the hackers managed to gain entry to the accounts but encountered difficulties in withdrawing the funds.

President William Ruto’s administration has allocated Ksh23 billion for the program under the recently implemented funding model, which distributes funds based on students’ individual needs.

To obtain the funds, students need to have been enrolled in higher education institutions through the services of the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS).

Furthermore, individuals are required to submit their funding applications via the Higher Education Financing (HEF) portal.

HELB Responds to Website Hacking Reports After Receiving Ksh10 Billion

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President William Ruto introduced the New Funding Model [NFM] as a measure to support underprivileged students facing challenges in covering their educational expenses.

The funding is intended for students who are enrolling in universities and technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions, but have already been issued placement letters by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS).

NFM prioritizes the needs of students by allocating loans and bursaries according to the applicants’ levels of financial need.

Pupils hailing from vulnerable and highly impoverished families are granted full financial support, whereas those in need, including both the moderately and less needy, receive 93% government funding with the remaining 7% allocated for tuition fees.

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In this arrangement, students must now seek scholarships individually for each semester, rather than receiving uniform awards, even if they come from well-off households.

How to Enroll

Go to www.hef.co.ke/portal

Click on the student portal

Confirm whether you have a National identity card (ID) then enter the details.

If you don’t have an ID use your Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) index number

Enter a valid email address, to receive a verification email

Activate the link through your email then log in again

Enter your phone number to verify the new account, in case the link expires click resend to get a new code

After verification, you can now access your portal from which you add your bio details, education qualifications, and address.

Track and access the stages of your scholarship application.

How KCSE Candidates Can Apply For New Helb Scholarship

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The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) on Friday, January 3, urged civil servants to apply for a loan identified as the training revolving funds.

The loan, provided in partnership with the Ministry of Public Service, targets civil servants in the national government, county government, and National Police Service. 

“Civil servants, this one’s for you! Application is now open for the Training Revolving Fund – TRF Loans,” the notice reads. 

According to HELB, civil servants can apply for amounts between Ksh30,000 and Ksh500,000, payable in a prolonged period of up to six years.

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The loan, with a low-interest rate of 4 percent per year, will be used to finance civil servants in payment of tuition fees, examination fees, Library fees, and Computer and research fees. 

HELB has also highlighted courses covered by the revolving fund which include Postgraduate studies, both master’s and PhD, and short courses of at least three months. 

Requirements

Civil servants interested in the loan are required to provide at least two colleagues to serve as guarantors and a recommendation letter from their employer. 

Further, the candidate must obtain an admission letter from a recognized university they have chosen for their studies.

Other requirements are three copies of the latest payslips, a certified copy of their national identification card (ID), a certified KRA pin, and recent colored passport-sized photographs.

The loan repayment starts from the first month after the funds are disbursed, which will be done via a monthly check-off system from the employer’s payroll.

This announcement comes days after HELB announced up to Ksh500,000 loans for Kenyan nurses intending to further their studies.

“This is for nurses pursuing advanced and specialized courses in approved training institutions in Kenya,” HELB stated. 

HELB Offers Up to Ksh 500K Low-Interest Loans for Civil Servants(Requirements)

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On Wednesday, January 3, the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) declared that the government, via the agency, was providing loans to Kenyan nurses who aimed to pursue additional education.

As per HELB, nurses accepting this opportunity will receive a Ksh500,000 advancement for their educational expenses.

The sum must be paid within five years and will incur a low interest of 4 percent.

Named the Advanced Nursing Education Fund, this credit will be available via the HELB portal, as per the government organization.

“This is for nurses pursuing advanced and specialized courses in approved training institutions in Kenya,” HELB stated, adding that the loans were flexible and affordable. 

Requirements for Loan Application

Students who wish to apply for the Ksh500,000 must submit a duplicate of an acceptance letter from an institution recognized by HELB.

The loan is accessible to both ongoing nursing students and individuals intending to pursue additional studies, provided they have obtained an acceptance letter for their enrollment.

Furthermore, interested individuals must complete and submit an application form available via the HELB portal.

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Additional documents required for qualification comprise a duplicate of the national ID card and three current pay stub duplicates validated by the employer.

In different news, HELB notified first-year undergraduate students who had requested funding that the distribution of funds had not been completed yet.

HELB stated that the loans had been assigned and they were in the process of arranging the distribution of funds.

The funds will be distributed according to the fresh Higher Education Funding (HEF) approach introduced by President William Ruto in May 2023.

According to HEF, students are categorized based on their level of vulnerability and neediness, with groups including extremely needy, needy, and less needy.

HELB Announces Ksh500,000 Loan For Kenyan Nurses: Requirements

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In the midst of university student demonstrations over the delayed disbursement, the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) loans for TVET and university students will be released by the Ministry of Education on Tuesday, November 7.

Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu announced in a statement on Friday that the processing of loans for first-year university students and TVETS under the new Higher Education Funding Model had been completed by HELB.

“The Higher Education Loans Boards has finalized the processing of loans for First Year students in universities and TVETs under the New Higher Education Funding Model,” Machogu stated.

“The Ministry wishes to inform successful applicants the funds will be disbursed to their respective universities and student accounts beginning Tuesday, November 7, 2023.”

Students who had submitted loan applications through the Higher Education Financing Portal were requested to verify the accuracy of the bank information included in the loan applications.

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The aforementioned statement is in response to a sequence of demonstrations organized by students from different academic institutions, which were sparked by the prolonged process of fund disbursement.

On Thursday, Machakos University students clashed with anti-riot officers and police officers in the streets, while also demanding that the Education Ministry take action.

Commencing at 8:00 a.m., the road leading to the university was rendered impassable due to the students’ bonfires.

In retaliation, police officers advocated for the distribution of teargas to the students.

A similar incident transpired in early October when students from Multimedia University obstructed Magadi Road, the primary entrance to Ongata Rongai Town in Kajiado County.

Machogu Announces Govt to Release HELB Loans Next Week

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President William Ruto lashed out at a group of affluent and salaried Kenyans who criticized his revised model for distributing Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) funds to college students.

On Sunday, while attending a church service in Riruta, the Head of State revealed that he had been informed of discontent from affluent individuals regarding his new HELB formulas.

In the new formulas, the Head of State had revised university fees upwards and altered the eligibility criteria for student funding. Some students would receive a full scholarship, while others would be required to pay out of pocket or obtain student loans.

“We’ve added money to educate our TVET and University students. We have decided that we will not send money to universities for the students, we shall give the students scholarships,” he explained.

“We will figure out the needy students so that we can give them 100 percent scholarships. Kenya is for all of us and we must factor in everybody.”

Ruto maintained, however, that the new formulas were aimed at children from impoverished households. The new funding will support students in both higher education and technical and vocational education and training (TVET).

“There are leaders who claim the model demands students to foot the fees in universities. Listen, the people I want to pay their full school fees are the children of these wealthy people and those with a salary. (The fees) is not a lot of money, it is Ksh25,000 per semester,” he added.

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“You (wealthy people) used to pay Ksh200,000 school fees for students in academies and expensive high schools yet you complain about paying Ksh25,000 in the university.”

In May, after receiving recommendations from the Education task force headed by Professor Raphael Munavu, the Head of State announced that universities would no longer receive the per-student capitation.

“Universities and TVETS will no longer receive block funding in the form of capitation based on a Differentiated Unit Cost. Funding to students shall combine scholarships, loans, and household contributions on a graduated scale,” Ruto stated at the time.

Later, Education CS Ezekiel Machogu noted that several criteria will be taken into account when determining which students will receive full scholarships and which will be eligible for loans.

“The means testing instrument is very broad. It has 8 variables which have been used over the years and it is being strengthened, linked to other databases so that the results are more valid and reliable,” he explained.

The means test will take into account parental background, gender, course type, previous school type, educational expenditures, family size and composition, marginalization, and impairment.

In addition, the PS stated that university course financing will be based on four criteria: performance and program selection, household income bands, affirmative action, and government priority areas.

Furthermore, vulnerable students will receive more grants and fewer loans, while able students will receive more loans and fewer grants.

The government will provide 59% in grants, and 34% in loans, and the pupil will be responsible for only 7%.

Ruto Slams Rich Kenyans After Criticism for Changing HELB Model

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Wednesday, the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) announced that it has begun distributing tuition loans to universities and TVET institutions.

In a statement sent to PoliticalPulseChat, the agency disclosed that it has disbursed loans to over 175,000 undergraduate students and over 700,000 TVET continuing students through their preferred payment channels, including bank accounts and mobile money wallets, under the Old Higher Education Funding model.

The scholars will receive the funds by October 5, 2023, according to HELB.

The funds are designated for students enrolled in degree, diploma, and certificate programs at universities and institutions of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). 

The announcement by HELB came just days after students criticized the agency for failing to release funds on time, and in some cases, for failing to release the funds at all. 

The government agency explained that they were unable to disburse funds to first-year applicants of the New Higher Education Funding Model because the application process was still ongoing.

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In addition, the agency disclosed that the deadline for first-time applicants under the new Higher Education Funding model is October 7.

This is consistent with the extension granted on September 5 by Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu.

“The processing and disbursement of their loans & their scholarships for both tuition and upkeep will follow shortly after the cut-off date on October 7, 2023,” HELB said in its statement.

Students from Multimedia University took to the streets of Rongai Town the day before HELB’s statement to protest the delayed disbursement of tuition funds.

Politicians from the opposition, led by the member of parliament for Embakasi East, Babu Owino, also criticized HELB for delayed disbursement. 

“Move with speed and release the money to comrades in various universities. This money is very little and it is never sufficient and you are delaying it,” Owino regretted. 

HELB Disburses Loans To Over 800K University, TVET Students

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Multimedia University students on Tuesday took to the streets of Rongai, protesting the delayed release of Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) funds.

The students chanted songs as they blocked Magadi Road which is the main entry into Ongata Rongai Town, Kajiado County. 

They lit tires and bonfires while chanting phrases like ‘the struggle continues’ alluding to their relentless push for action.

The students engaged security officers in running battles, prompting them to use teargas to disperse the crowds.

Delays in the release of HELB funds have seen students, mostly from low-income households, go through untold suffering even after the government promised to release the funds on time. 

The months-long uproar attracted the attention of national leaders including Embakasi East MP Babu Owino who asked the government to release funds to cushion students from tough economic realities. 

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Speaking recently, Owino noted that students are suffering because they have no money to cater to their needs.

“Comrades are very hungry and angry at the same time. Students cannot go to class because HELB has not been released hence cannot pay fees” Owino noted.

“Students cannot buy food…cannot afford accommodation because there is no money. Students cannot get money for transport…”

The parliamentarian called on the Treasury CS Prof. Ndung’u to work with HELB and release the funds soon.

“Move with speed and release the money to comrades in various universities. HELB must never delay. This money is very little and it is never sufficient and you are delaying it, he imported”

The current president of Kenya Universities Students Organization (KUSO), Antony Manyara had earlier said that the Higher Education Loans Board had agreed to allocate the funds this week.

 University Students Stage Protests Over HELB Delays

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The Universities Fund has advised students whose applications for government scholarships have been rejected that they still have a chance to get the funding.

In a statement published by the Universities Fund on Thursday, September 14, the agency invited students to file appeals, to allow them another chance to secure much-needed finances for their higher education.

According to the Universities Fund, the decision to deny students the scholarships could be due to several reasons including; an oversight or by mistake on the part of the government officials.

Universities Fund explained that even students who got less money than what they expected could ask the government to review the offer upwards or downwards.

“An individual may appeal or request a review of their Government Student Scholarships award if they were not satisfied with the amount given.

“This includes unsuccessful scholarship applications,” the Universities Fund explained in a statement.

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To appeal for more government scholarship funding on the University Fund Platform, you can follow these steps:

1. Go to the portal and log in to your account.

2. In your account, review the application

3. Click on the Appeals tab.

4. Submit your appeal

In the Reason for Appeal field, explain why you need more funding. Be sure to include specific examples of how the additional funding will help you succeed in your studies.

Attach any supporting documents, such as financial statements, academic transcripts, or letters of recommendation.

5. Click on the “Submit” button.

The University Fund Platform will review your appeal and notify you of its decision within a few weeks.

Some tips for writing a successful appeal letter, include the need for the student to be clear and concise. The students should also highlight his or her academic achievements and potential.

Students are also advised to explain why they need the additional funding and how it will help them to succeed in their academic endeavors.

Appellants need to be specific and provide evidence to support their claims.

However, the Universities Fund has explained that only Kenyan-born students are eligible for government scholarships under the new model.

“The Government Student Scholarship is restricted to Kenyan citizens only. International students should check with their universities, governments, or financial aid offices to seek funding based on their eligibility,” the Universities Fund explained.

How to Appeal HELB Scholarship After Being Denied

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