Universities Fund Opens HEF Portal for Scholarship Applications
The Universities Fund has opened applications for government scholarships for students admitted to public universities for the 2026/2027 academic year under the Student-Centred Funding Model.
In a statement issued on Monday, July 13, the Universities Fund announced that the application portal opened on July 8, 2026, and will remain accessible until September 6, 2026. The Fund urged eligible students placed by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Placement Service (KUCCPS) to submit their applications within the stipulated period to facilitate timely processing of financial support.
According to the Universities Fund, eligibility for the government scholarship is limited to Kenyan citizens who have been placed in public universities through the Kenya Universities and Colleges Placement Service (KUCCPS). Students placed in private universities were advised to apply for financial assistance through the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB).
The Universities Fund stated that applicants seeking scholarships for the first time must provide all required personal identification and academic documents to support assessment and processing under the Student-Centred Funding Model.
Documents Required for the 2026/2027 Universities Fund Scholarship Application
The Universities Fund listed the following mandatory requirements for first-time applicants:
- A valid email address.
- A valid mobile phone number registered in the student’s name.
- Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) index number and year of examination.
- Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) index number and year of examination.
- A recent passport-size photograph.
- A university admission letter.
- A birth certificate or a national identity card.
- Parent’s or guardian’s registered mobile phone number.
- Parent’s or guardian’s national identity card number.
- Parent’s death certificate, where applicable.
The Fund stated:
“For a complete first-time scholarship application, a student should have the following: a valid email address; a valid mobile phone number registered in the student’s name; KCPE and KCSE index numbers and years of examination.”
Application Process
The Universities Fund directed eligible applicants to submit their applications through the Higher Education Financing (HEF) Portal by completing the following steps:
- Access the Higher Education Financing (HEF) Portal.
- Create an account using a valid email address and a mobile phone number registered in the applicant’s name.
- Log in to the portal and complete the scholarship application form.
- Enter KCPE and KCSE index numbers together with the respective years of examination.
- Upload all required supporting documents.
- Review the information provided to confirm its accuracy.
- Submit the completed application before the September 6, 2026 deadline.
Universities Fund Urges Early Applications
The Universities Fund Acting Chief Executive Officer, Edwin Wanyonyi, encouraged eligible students to complete their applications as early as possible to allow adequate time for verification, processing, and disbursement of financial support before the commencement of the academic year.
Read Also: KNEC Releases Long-Awaited March 2026 Business and Technical Results
Wanyonyi stated that the government scholarships are intended to facilitate access to university education for eligible Kenyan students admitted to public universities, regardless of their financial circumstances.
The application window remains open until September 6, 2026, for all eligible students placed in public universities by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Placement Service (KUCCPS) for the 2026/2027 academic year.
Universities Fund Opens HEF Portal for Scholarship Applications.
Follow Teachers Updates on Facebook, LinkedIn, X (Twitter), WhatsApp, Telegram, and Instagram. Get in touch with our editors at hello@teachersupdates.news.
