By Malachi Motano
Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) is worried that over 95 thousand students will miss loans due to budget cut.
According to HELB chief executive officer Charles Ringera, the Board’s budget was slashed to Sh 2.2 billion from the Sh 15.5 billion it had presented to the National Treasury.
He said with the shortfall, students depending on the funds for paying their fees risk cutting short their studies.
The cash crisis, Ringera said was worsened by over 85,000 loan defaulters who had failed to remit their dues on time.
He said 450,000 students in technical, vocational education and training institutions and universities would benefit from its services in the 2021/2022 financial year.
His remarks came at a time when the number of students expected to join universities increased from 125,746 in 2019 to 143,140 in 2020.
