HELB announces opening of applications for 2024-2025 Master’s, PhD scholarships

The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) has announced the opening of applications for its 2024-2025 Postgraduate Partial Scholarships.

In a notice, HELB said the scholarships are available to Kenyan students pursuing Master’s and PhD programmes at public or private universities accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE).

The scholarships offer Sh200,000 for Master’s programmes and Sh450,000 for PhD programmes. The Board notes that the funding is available for two years for Master’s students and three years for PhD students.

"Applications must be submitted by August 31, 2024," the Loans Board said.

For eligibility, an applicant must have a letter of Admission into a full or part-time programme in a local public or private university recognised by the CUE.

Applicants should also have a minimum of Second-Class Upper Division.

"Preference will be given to applicants undertaking Science, Technology, Engineering, Agriculture and Mathematics (STEAM) courses," the Loans Board said.

It added that for a HELB loan beneficiary, the applicant must be repaying his/her loan or has cleared the same.

To apply, applicants should register, access, and duly complete the 2024/2025 Postgraduate Scholarship Application form accessible via the www.hef.co.ke. website.

"Submit online the duly completed form," the Board said.

Application fee

HELB noted that an applicant shall be prompted to pay a non-refundable application fee of Sh3,000 via eCitizen once they click on the payment tab on the portal.

The Higher Education Loans Board (Helb) offices in Nairobi. (Photo: Handout)

The Board also cautioned applicants against paying an individual to process their HELB postgraduate scholarship application.

Persons with special needs and from marginalised communities have also been urged to apply.

At the same time, the Board has also invited applications for the 2024-2025 Financial Year second and subsequent Undergraduate Scholarship and Loans, from both new and continuing Kenyan students placed by the Kenya Universities & Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) and those in self-sponsored programmes in public & private universities in Kenya and the East African Community that are recognized by the CUE.

Eligible students for the old funding model should be undergraduate students applying for the first time and those who sat for their KCSE before the year 2022.

Additionally, eligible students for the New Funding Model should be newly placed undergraduate students applying for scholarship and loan for the first- time and those who sat for their KCSE in 2022 or 2023 only.

The closing date for the application is on December 31, 2024.

Interested individuals have been urged to visit the HELB website to access the application portal to register, create and activate an account.

Applicants have been advised to use their personal mobile number registered under their name and national identification number for logins.

For continuing students, applicants will have to download the HELB App from the Google Play Store or use the USSD Code by dialing *642#.

Applicants have been urged to register using their phone number to generate a PIN which they will use to log in.

"Ensure the mobile number is registered under your name. Please note that mobile numbers not registered in the student's name will not be able to proceed with the application," the Loans Board said.

"Please note that this application is paperless. You are not required to print any form. A confirmation SMS with a loan application serial number is evidence that you have applied. Kindly save the SMS for future reference. HELB does not charge any fee to access the loan application."