HELB Reopens Loan Application Portal For KMTC Students, Sets Deadline

The Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) students have received a major boost following the announcement that the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) will resume disbursing loans to them.

This development comes after the National Treasury released Ksh500 million to facilitate the reinstatement of the financial support program.

KMTC Chief Executive Officer Dr. Kelly Oluoch announced on Wednesday, June 18, saying that the funds will provide much-needed relief to thousands of students who have been grappling with financial hardships since the government withdrew HELB support in the 2023/2024 financial year.

According to Dr. Oluoch, the reintroduction of HELB funding marks a significant step forward in supporting needy students and ensuring the continuity of their training.

“The HELB portal is now open, and students interested in applying for the financial support can do so starting today,” he said. He added that the application window will remain open until June 24, 2025, urging all eligible students to take advantage of the opportunity.

KMTC students were previously among the regular beneficiaries of HELB loans, which many relied on to cover tuition fees, accommodation, and daily upkeep. However, in a controversial move aimed at reducing government expenditure, the students were excluded from the funding scheme starting in the 2023/2024 financial year.

The abrupt withdrawal of support left many students in distress, with some forced to defer studies or seek alternative sources of funding under difficult circumstances.

“The absence of this crucial support placed a significant strain on our students, threatening their ability to continue with training,” Dr. Oluoch remarked. “Many of our learners come from modest backgrounds and lack the means to pay for their education out of pocket. Without HELB, we saw a worrying rise in financial-related academic disruptions.”

In response to the funding crisis, KMTC leadership intensified efforts to restore HELB access by engaging with various government stakeholders. Dr. Oluoch revealed that the institution worked closely with the Ministry of Health, the Parliamentary Committee on Health, and other relevant bodies to lobby for the reinstatement of the loans.

These advocacy efforts bore fruit in March 2025, when the National Treasury allocated Ksh500 million in the 2024/2025 supplementary budget to support the reintroduction of HELB loans to KMTC students. At the time, Dr. Oluoch expressed optimism that the funds would be released within a few weeks and that the application process would soon follow.

“This means we will go ahead and ask the Treasury to release the funds. Once the money reaches our bank, which may take a few weeks, we will ask HELB to open the portal for students to apply,” he had explained.

The current resumption of HELB loans fulfills a pledge made by Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, who had promised to ensure that KMTC students were brought back into the HELB funding scheme. Duale’s intervention was key in bridging the policy gap that had left thousands of medical trainees in financial uncertainty.

The reinstatement comes at a critical time, especially as Kenya continues to face a shortage of healthcare professionals. Ensuring that KMTC students can complete their training without interruption is seen as essential to building the capacity of the country’s health workforce.

While KMTC students celebrate the return of HELB support, the broader conversation around higher education financing in Kenya continues. University students, for instance, are still receiving HELB loans after the courts temporarily suspended the government’s plan to replace the scheme with a new funding model.

The government’s new university funding model, which seeks to base allocations on a student’s level of need and performance, has faced criticism and legal challenges. Until the matter is conclusively resolved, HELB remains the main source of financial assistance for thousands of students pursuing tertiary education.

With the HELB portal now open, KMTC students are encouraged to log in, complete their applications, and submit the required documentation before the June 24 deadline. Dr. Oluoch reiterated that only deserving and financially needy students should apply and that the funds will be disbursed based on merit and need assessments conducted by HELB.

“We remain committed to ensuring that every qualified student at KMTC has access to the financial resources they need to complete their studies. This is just the beginning, and we will continue to work with our partners to secure even more sustainable funding in the future,” he concluded.

The return of HELB loans Is expected to bring renewed hope to thousands of KMTC students across the country, enabling them to focus on their studies and future careers in the healthcare sector.

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