HELB Pushes Back Loan Application Deadline For Continuing Students

Students still waiting to apply for their subsequent Higher Education Loans Board, HELB, have been handed more time, with the board confirming a fresh extension amid ongoing hitches in disbursing funds.

In a notice issued on Monday, September 7, HELB said continuing students now have until September 21 to submit their applications.

“Attention All Continuing Students! The HELB Subsequent Loan Application deadline has been EXTENDED to September 21, 2026,” the board said.

HELB explained the extra time is meant to catch students who missed the earlier window altogether, giving them a fair shot at accessing the loan. It also comes as relief for those who started the process but got stuck along the way, a group that had grown increasingly anxious about being shut out entirely.

“Whether you got caught up with network issues or just needed a little push, this is your moment. Don’t let this extra window pass you by,” HELB said in its statement.

The application portal was originally set to close on August 31, having opened back on July 8. But a wave of complaints from students unable to complete their applications forced the board’s hand, pushing the cutoff to September 21 instead.

That date isn’t random; it now lines up with the deadline for first-time applicants, which was similarly extended following instructions from the Ministry of Education.

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba said the decision came after it emerged that several first-time applicants had been locked out of the loan and scholarship system.

“Recognising that some eligible students and trainees may not have met the initial deadline on account of various causes, the Universities Fund and the Higher Education Loans Board have been directed to extend the application window for all eligible applicants to 21st September, 2026,” Ogamba said.

The CS also gave an update on funding disbursement, revealing that Ksh22.12 billion has already gone out to continuing university students and TVET trainees for first-semester and first-term costs.

On the broader question of full government funding for all university and college students originally expected to roll out this September, Ogamba said students joining institutions this admission cycle will, for now, be funded through the current system.

The shift to a new funding model is still being worked out and depends on Parliament passing the Tertiary Education, Placement and Funding Bill, 2026.

For continuing undergraduates looking to beat the clock, HELB says the quickest route is through its mobile app or by dialling the USSD code *642#.

The process requires setting up a four-digit PIN to secure the account, after which applicants select “Subsequent Application,” choose their category, whether undergraduate or TVET loan and scholarship, then review and accept the terms before submitting. A confirmation SMS with a serial number follows once the application goes through.

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