Varsity students to receive up to Sh60,000 Helb upkeep as state disburses Sh3.32 billion
The CS confirmed the release and noted that each student will receive between Sh40,000 and Sh60,000.
Varsity students to receive up to Sh60,000 Helb upkeep as state disburses Sh3.32 billion funds
The government has disbursed Sh3.32 billion to support the upkeep of university students, with first and second-year learners benefiting from the funds distributed through the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB).
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The funds, allocated for the 2024/2025 academic year, were fully released by January 31, according to Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba.
The CS confirmed the release and noted that each student will receive between Sh40,000 and Sh60,000.
“The latest disbursements are part of the funds that had already been appropriated in July 2024, in the context of the current Financial Year’s budgetary and appropriation framework,” Ogamba said.
The release comes a day after University of Nairobi (UoN) students staged protests at HELB offices on Monday, demanding timely loan disbursements.
Meanwhile, students from Kenyatta University blocked a section of Thika Road over similar delays. The protesting students expressed frustration over the difficulty in meeting academic and personal expenses due to the delays.
Revert to old model
The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) clarified that first- and second-year students would receive funding under the old model as they await the outcome of an appeal against a High Court ruling that suspended the new university funding framework.
The protests followed a High Court decision on December 20th, which deemed the new funding model illegal and unconstitutional.
HELB’s lending manager, King’ori Ndegwa, explained that the delay was due to the court’s suspension of the new funding model.
“The disbursement delays stem from a court decision that halted the implementation of the new funding model, forcing HELB to temporarily revert to the old system until the legal matter is resolved,” Ndegwa said.
In response to mounting pressure, HELB announced it would continue to disburse funds for first- and second-year students using the previous differentiated unit cost model, similar to the model used for third- and fourth-year students.
“It’s illegal, but we will now pay HELB using the old model,” Ndegwa added.
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