
HELB Explains Why 140,000 Students Will Miss University Funding
More than 140,000 students who applied for funding from the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) in Kenya have been informed that they will not receive the funding they need to pay for their studies.
The CEO of HELB, Charles Ringera, appeared before the National Assembly Committee on Education on March 22, where he said that the Board had run out of funds, meaning that parents will have to find the money themselves.
The shortfall is due to a lack of KSH5.7bn, and the students affected come from all backgrounds. HELB loans help keep students from lower-income families in education by providing money for accommodation, tuition fees and living expenses.
HELB has requested KSH4.5bn from the Treasury to fill the gap, but it has not yet been disbursed. If the funding is not provided in time, the delay could prevent students from starting university or technical and vocational courses in September.
With rising costs, the failure to provide funds on time could also see students dropping out of school.
On March 14, the Ministry of Education said it was considering recommendations to increase university fees for public institutions from KSH16,000 to KSH48,000.
This increase would place extra pressure on parents to pay for their children’s education, and many will be required to pay the full amount due to the absence of funding from HELB.
The inability of HELB to provide the necessary funds to students comes at a time when the President of Kenya, William Ruto, has proposed the disbanding of the organisation.
Ruto has said that he will create an alternative body to offer funding for students pursuing tertiary education. The proposed National Skill and Funding Council (NSFC) would bring together the existing funding bodies.
However, in the short term, students and parents will have to find the funds they need to continue their education or face dropping out of school.
HELB Explains Why 140,000 Students Will Miss University Funding