HELB Starts Paying Tuition Fees; More Batches Expected Soon.
The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) has commenced the disbursement of tuition fees for university students under the 2025/26 academic year, covering both first-time applicants and continuing beneficiaries.
In a statement issued on June 24, HELB confirmed that tuition payments had begun and that the funds were being remitted directly to institutions of higher learning. The board indicated that additional disbursements, including upkeep loans, personal loans, and scholarship awards, would be processed subsequently.
According to HELB, tuition fees for eligible students have been paid under designated batch numbers, and beneficiaries were advised to verify the payments through their respective university finance offices.
The board revealed that several batches had already been processed as of June 24. The batches confirmed to have received tuition disbursements include:
- Batch 6938
- Batch 6939
- Batch 6940
- Batch 6948
Additional batches are expected to be processed in subsequent phases as the disbursement exercise continues.
The commencement of tuition remittances follows concerns raised by students regarding delays in communication on the status of their funding applications. A section of applicants had reported uncertainty over their allocations after failing to receive updates on their loan applications ahead of the upcoming academic year.
The latest disbursement update indicates that tuition payments are already being transmitted to universities, although some applicants are yet to receive official notifications regarding their funding status.
The development comes shortly after HELB opened applications for subsequent loans for continuing university students. The board urged eligible students to submit their applications within the stipulated application period to facilitate timely processing.
The tuition disbursement exercise is taking place amid increased government funding for higher education financing. In the 2026/27 Financial Year, the National Treasury allocated KSh58 billion to student financing programmes, marking the highest allocation to the sector to date.
The allocation represents an increase from the KSh41 billion provided in the previous financial year and is intended to support students under the Student-Centred Funding Model.
HELB has continued to face funding challenges in recent years. The board previously reported a funding requirement exceeding KSh112 billion in a single financial year, while receiving less than half of the amount required to meet student financing demands.
Read Also: Court Clears One Student in Fire That Killed 16 Girls, 8 Still Face Murder Charges
The institution has also reported challenges associated with loan recovery, with non-performing loans exceeding KSh30 billion. HELB attributed the situation to high youth unemployment levels and income instability among graduates, which have affected repayment rates.
While tuition fee disbursements have commenced for a number of beneficiaries, HELB has not announced a timeline for the release of upkeep loans for the 2025/26 academic year. The board is expected to provide further updates as the disbursement process progresses.
HELB Starts Paying Tuition Fees; More Batches Expected Soon.
Follow Teachers Updates on Facebook, LinkedIn, X (Twitter), WhatsApp, Telegram, and Instagram. Get in touch with our editors at hello@teachersupdates.news.
