HELB To Release Funds This Tuesday

The Ministry of Education Ezekiel Machogu said first-year students in universities and TVETs will receive the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) on Tuesday, November 7, amid strikes by university students over the delayed disbursement.

In a statement on Friday, Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu said HELB has finalized the processing of loans for first-year students in universities and TVETs under the New Higher Education Funding Model.

“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.

“Consequently, the Ministry wishes to inform successful applicants that the funds will be disbursed to their respective universities and student accounts starting Tuesday, November 7, 2023,” Machogu said.

The Education CS called on the students who had applied for the loans on the Higher Education Financing Portal to ensure that their bank details, as provided in the loan application, were accurate.

Read Also: More Suffering To Students As HELB Is Yet To Disburse Loans

The statement comes after students from Machakos University held demos on Thursday over delays in Helb disbursement. They took to the streets on Thursday morning forcing some traders within the town to close shops, however, police managed to block them from accessing the central business district to ensure the safety of other residents and their property.

The students lit bonfires along the road leading to the university, paralyzing traffic from 8:00 a.m. Police officers retaliated by lobbying teargas to disburse the students. Tear gas canisters were lobbed to disperse the students, leading to the closure of the Machakos – Wote road on which the varsity is located.

Read More: 

• HELB Rejects Bill Seeking To Reduce Loan Interest Rates On Students
• HELB Gives New Directive To Students Who Missed The Loan

In October, HELB released funds for continuing students in varsities and TVETs. According to HELB CEO Charles Ringera, the upkeep loans for the more than 175,000 undergraduate and over 70,000 TVET continuing students under the Old Higher Education Funding Model [OFM] were being disbursed.

“Higher Learning Institutions (HLIS) – Universities and Colleges are advised to allow students to register as tuition fees to various institutions have also been released and should be reflected in the respective bank accounts of the HLIS by October 5, 2023,” Ringera said.

Read Also: HELB Releases Funds To University And TVET Students