The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) has officially opened applications for the 2025/2026 academic year loans and scholarships for undergraduate and TVET students, targeting candidates who sat their KCSE in 2024.
The announcement comes a day after Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba released the results of the 2025 university and college placements by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS), paving the way for newly placed students to apply for funding.
First-time loan applicants are required to apply through the Higher Education Financing (HEF) portal at , while continuing students are advised to use the HELB mobile app or dial *642# to submit their subsequent applications.
In its public notice published on Wednesday, HELB urged all eligible students to apply early to avoid last-minute inconveniences and ensure seamless processing ahead of the September intake. The deadline for applications is August 31, 2025.
''We have now opened the portal. The 2025-2026 First Time and Subsequent Applications for Undergraduate & TVET Loans & Scholarships are now open. Apply via www.hef.co.ke for first-time applicants or dial *642# or HELB-App for continuing students,'' read part of the statement by HELB.
The loans and scholarships are designed to support tuition and upkeep for students in both public and private universities and TVET institutions across the country under the government’s new financing model.
The developments come after Ogamba officially released placement results. Addressing the press on Tuesday afternoon in Nairobi, the Education CS disclosed that out of the 244,563 candidates who qualified for degree programs, 201,695 of them applied for placement to various levels.
KUCCPS has so far placed 310,502 students in various programmes in both universities and colleges, with the majority of applicants consisting of the 2024 KCSE students.
In the just-concluded university placement, nursing emerged as one of the most preferred courses, attracting one of the highest numbers of applicants among the 2024 KCSE candidates.
At the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC), nursing attracted more than 27,000 applications, with students opting for diplomas and certificates.
Meanwhile, last month, HELB warned loan applicants of common schemes being run by cons who target to swindle cash from them under the disguise of aiding in applications.
In a notice on Monday, June 23, the board warned the applicants to be on the lookout for individuals and messages purporting to be from them.
