Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) offices/FILE
The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) has opened applications for undergraduate and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) loans and scholarships for the 2026/2027 academic year.
In a notice issued on Friday, HELB invited eligible first-time applicants to submit their applications through the Higher Education Fund (HEF) portal.
The board urged students admitted to universities and TVET institutions to apply early and follow the application guidelines.
"The 2026/27 first-time applications for loans and scholarships are now open. Once you receive your admission details, visit www.hef.co.ke to apply," HELB said.
The application window is for students seeking government financial support for the first time under the Higher Education Funding framework.
To begin the process, applicants must create an account on the HEF Student Portal using either their National Identity Card number or KCSE index number if they do not yet have a national ID.
Applicants must then activate the account through their email before completing their profile and submitting their application.
They will also be required to provide a valid telephone number registered in their name for verification, consent to the collection and processing of their personal data, and complete their personal and academic information before submitting their scholarship and loan applications.
For loan applications, HELB requires applicants to accept the loan terms and conditions, provide guarantor details and indicate their preferred disbursement method through a bank account or mobile money platform before submitting the application.
The board has outlined several mandatory requirements for applicants.
These include a valid email address, a telephone number registered in the applicant's name, KCPE and KCSE index numbers and examination years.
Applicants are also required to provide a passport-size photograph, a copy of their national identity card for loan applications, and an admission letter from a recognised university or TVET institution.
Other required documents include a birth certificate, parents' registered telephone numbers and national identity card numbers and, where applicable, the death certificate of a deceased parent.
Applicants who benefited from sponsorship during secondary school are required to upload a copy of the sponsorship letter.
Those applying for loans must also provide the national identity card numbers and registered telephone numbers of two guarantors, who may include their parents.
HELB has advised applicants to read and understand the data privacy consent statement before agreeing to the collection of their personal information.
Students who have previously received HELB loans or scholarships are not required to submit first-time applications.
Instead, continuing applicants can apply for funding by dialling *642# on their mobile phones, using the HELB Mobile App available on the Google Play Store or through the M-Pesa Mini App.
The opening of the application window marks the start of the government's annual funding process for students joining universities and TVET institutions during the 2026/2027 academic year.
