HELB Opens Ksh500,000 Education Loans for Civil Servants; Eligible Programmes.
The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) has opened applications for education loans of up to Ksh500,000 targeting civil servants seeking to pursue further studies and advance their professional qualifications. The facility is being administered through the Civil Servants Training Revolving Fund (TRF), a financing arrangement implemented by HELB in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Service.
The Civil Servants Training Revolving Fund targets employees serving within the National Government, County Governments, the National Police Service (NPS) and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC). HELB confirmed that the fund is designed to enable public servants to finance further training and professional development while remaining in active employment, with disbursement channelled directly toward tuition and related academic costs.
The board explained that the facility forms part of its broader mandate to support continuous professional development within the public service, complementing existing HELB products aimed at both first-time university entrants and salaried learners already in the workforce.
Loan Amount and Eligible Programmes
Under the TRF, eligible civil servants may borrow amounts ranging between Ksh30,000 and Ksh500,000 annually. The financing may be applied toward the following categories of study:
- Certificate programmes
- Diploma programmes
- Higher National Diploma programmes
- Postgraduate Diploma programmes
- Master’s degree programmes
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programmes
- Approved professional courses
- Examinable short courses of at least three months’ duration
Courses must be undertaken at universities, colleges and other training institutions recognised by the Ministry of Education. The financing covers tuition, library fees, computer fees, research costs and examination fees.
HELB stated: “Advance your career with HELB’s Civil Servants Training Revolving Fund! Take the next step towards professional growth with quick loan processing, flexible repayment period of 12–72 months, competitive interest rates, and financing of up to KSh 500,000.”
Interest Rate and Repayment Terms
The board confirmed that borrowers under the TRF will be charged an annual interest rate of four per cent (4%) on a reducing balance basis. Repayment periods range from 12 to 72 months (up to six years), with the exact duration determined by the amount borrowed and the repayment plan agreed upon at the point of disbursement.
Repayment is due one month after disbursement and is administered through a monthly check-off system, under which instalments are deducted directly from the borrower’s salary by the employer. HELB noted that no processing fees are charged on applications under this facility, though an annual ledger fee applies in line with standard HELB loan administration practice.
Eligibility Requirements and Required Documentation
To qualify for the Civil Servants Training Revolving Fund, applicants must satisfy the following requirements and submit the accompanying documentation in full:
- An admission letter from a university, college or training institution recognised in Kenya.
- Certified copies of the three most recent payslips, showing a net pay above one-third of basic pay, certified by the employer.
- A copy of the applicant’s National Identity Card.
- A copy of the applicant’s Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Personal Identification Number (PIN) certificate.
- Two guarantors who are also employed within the civil service, each providing a copy of their National Identity Card.
- Recent, coloured passport-size photographs of the applicant.
Applicants are required to submit their applications through HELB’s designated online application channels, subject to verification of eligibility and confirmation that the programme of study meets the fund’s approved criteria.
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Relation to the Jielimishe Loan Programme
The opening of the Civil Servants Training Revolving Fund follows HELB’s earlier announcement, made on August 6, 2026, opening applications for the 2026/27 Jielimishe Loan. The Jielimishe Loan targets salaried Kenyans in formal employment, including staff of selected private companies and government employees, who wish to pursue further education without leaving their jobs.
Under the Jielimishe Loan, eligible applicants may access financing of up to Ksh600,000 to support university, postgraduate, professional and other approved higher education programmes. This facility attracts an annual interest rate of ten per cent (10%), with repayment periods ranging from 12 to 48 months, administered through monthly payroll deductions. Successful applicants under the Jielimishe Loan are additionally enrolled in a credit life insurance policy, providing financial protection during the repayment period.
The Civil Servants Training Revolving Fund therefore operates as a distinct, lower-cost facility within HELB’s broader financing structure for employed learners, offering a lower interest rate (4% versus 10%) and a longer maximum repayment period (72 months versus 48 months) than the Jielimishe Loan, though restricted specifically to employees of the National Government, County Governments, the National Police Service and the Teachers Service Commission.
HELB separately administers the KRA Staff Training Revolving Fund, a comparable facility of up to Ksh500,000 established for employees of the Kenya Revenue Authority.
Broader Financing Context
The announcement of the Civil Servants Training Revolving Fund follows a series of loan and scholarship programme openings by HELB during the 2026/27 academic cycle. On July 30, 2026, the board opened applications for its 2026/2027 Partial Postgraduate Scholarship, under which successful master’s degree applicants are awarded Ksh200,000 tenable over two years, and successful PhD applicants are awarded Ksh450,000 tenable over three years, subject to enrolment in programmes accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE).
HELB has also opened its Higher Education Financing (HEF) portal for first-year undergraduate and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) applicants placed through the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS), amid budgetary constraints affecting the 2026/2027 funding cycle at the national level.
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Application Process
Civil servants wishing to apply for the Civil Servants Training Revolving Fund are required to access HELB’s online application platform, complete the prescribed application form with personal, employment and academic details, upload the required supporting documentation, and submit the application for processing and verification. HELB is a State Agency under the Ministry of Education and is ISO 9001:2015 certified.
Applications remain open on an ongoing basis, subject to the fund’s eligibility criteria and the availability of allocated resources under the Training Revolving Fund arrangement between HELB and the Ministry of Public Service.
HELB Opens Ksh500,000 Education Loans for Civil Servants; Eligible Programmes.
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