Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) CEO Geoffrey Monari has assured students
that they will receive funding despite delays in the disbursement process.
The assurance follows growing uproar from
students who complained that they had not yet received their funds, while others
had already accessed theirs.
According to HELB, Sh20 billion has been
disbursed to universities and Sh7.9 billion to TVET trainees.
“Currently, we don't have any problems as we
progress into the second semester. We are on track,” Monari said.
However, students from different institutions
have expressed frustration over missing out on the funding.
Some say the delays have disrupted their education, with a number being
locked out of accessing services in their institutions.
"Students are not being allowed to register for exams cause they need
the P cards, which you can't get unless you clear the fees," Isaac Muhia, a
student at P.C. Kinyanjui Technical Training Institute, said.
The case is also similar in some universities where students are required to
clear their pending fee balances.
“I’m currently a week away from being locked
out of the student portal, and this threatens my continuation in school due to
lack of funds,” Antony Okeyo, a student from Egerton University, said.
The government has maintained that no
qualifying student will be locked out of classes or denied services, insisting
that sufficient funds are available and will be disbursed in due time.
“We are doing all we can to ensure that
students who need and deserve to be in university will not miss out,” Education
Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba said.
Monari also urged loan defaulters to repay
their loans, noting that repayments play a significant role in financing other
students.
Previously, HELB disbursements were scheduled
to coincide with the reopening of schools, around August 15.
The Ministry of Education had earlier announced
an increase in HELB’s allocation, offering a major boost for students seeking
higher education loans.
CS Julius Ogamba said the allocation for HELB
was to rise from Sh36 billion to Shh41 billion.
