The Ministry of Education (MoE) has reassured students, parents, and learning institutions of the State’s commitment to access to higher education by announcing enhanced funding through the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) and the Universities Fund for the 2025/2026 academic year.
In a press statement released on Thursday, July 31, 2025, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migosi said that the HELB will begin disbursing loans to first-year university students starting August 15, 2025, in alignment with the reopening of universities across the country.
“We want to ensure a smooth transition into university and TVET colleges for all eligible learners. No student should be denied education due to lack of funds,” said Hon. Migosi.
The government will fund a record 201,695 first-year university students and over 237,000 TVET trainees, in addition to 257,523 continuing students under the Student-Centred Funding Model (SCFM).
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“As of today, 129,403 university students and 60,976 TVET trainees have already successfully submitted their applications,” the CS noted.
The SCFM portal remains open until August 31 2025, and the Ministry has encouraged eligible students who have not applied to do so before the deadline.
“We urge all learners who haven’t applied to take advantage of this funding window. This support is a lifeline for many families,” said the CS. Ensure “No Student is Left Behind,” the government has raised HELB’s annual allocation from KSh. 36 billion to KSh.41 billion, representing a significant KSh. 5 billion boost.
Out of this, KSh 13 billion has already been disbursed to cover tuition and upkeep for students.
KSh. A total of 16.9 billion has been allocated to the Universities Fund to support scholarships for students in public universities, he added.
“Our mission is clear—no eligible student should be excluded from higher education due to financial constraints,” Hon. Migosi affirmed.
The Ministry promised to expedite processing of all pending applications to guarantee timely disbursement and a seamless transition for incoming learners.
By Joseph Mambili
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