EXPLAINER: Why HELB Funds Are Delayed As Education Ministry Strives To Disburse
The Ministry of Education has called on students to wait a little longer for the disbursement of the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) loans amid frustrations over delays.
According to Higher Education Principal Secretary Beatrice Inyangala, the hold-up has been caused by the ongoing processing of the funds.
Inyangala said the government is currently processing HELB disbursements and will soon be released to students.
The PS was speaking during a consultative meeting with the university’s vice chancellors on the Kenya national qualifications framework on Tuesday, September 1.
“The process is being finalised as is going on, and once it is finalised, we will be able to release the funds,” Inyangala said.
The move comes amid students’ frustrations over HELB delays, with several seeking intervention from the Board.
However, it’s established that HELB has begun the disbursement of the funds as of September 1, although a significant number of students have not received their disbursement.
Among the batches already paid are 7046, with students required to wait for 48 hours before accessing funds.
According to HELB, students are required to remain calm as the Board finalises the release of funds, even as a new academic year begins.
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At the same time, Inyangala said universities should admit first-year students even as the government finalises plans for the proposed new higher education funding system from this month.
“The universities are supporting students who are very needy and vulnerable to settle down. The students should join universities as we wait the processing of the bill,” she added.
The Tertiary Education, Placement and Funding Bill, 2026 is currently before Parliament for consideration.
The Bill seeks to establish a new framework for funding students in higher education, in a major overhaul of funding for the Kenyan education sector.
According to President William Ruto, first-year students placed by the government will, from September, receive full government support for their higher education, including tuition and upkeep funding under the proposed system.
This would be administered through the proposed Tertiary Education Funding Authority (TEFA), which would take over the functions of HELB, the Universities Fund and the TVET Funding Board if the Bill is passed.
EXPLAINER: Why HELB Funds Are Delayed As Education Ministry Strives To Disburse
