Written by Lisa Murimi
Over 324,000 students in Kenya’s universities and TVET institutions have been denied financial aid for the 2024/2025 academic year due to a significant budget shortfall at the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB).
According to the 2025 Economic Survey by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), HELB received 1,038,254 loan applications but could only support 713,426 students, leaving 324,828 applicants without assistance.
The board had requested Sh 81 billion to meet the growing demand but was allocated only Sh46.9 billion.
This shortfall has left many students from low-income families struggling to finance their education.
The survey indicates that 292,751 of the unsuccessful applicants were from public universities, 12,159 from private universities, and 48,231 from TVET colleges.
The increasing number of loan applications, which rose by 24.5% from the previous year, reflects the escalating need for financial support in higher education.
However, the limited funding has resulted in many deserving students missing out on the opportunity to pursue their academic goals.
HELB allocates between Sh35,000 and Sh60,000 per student annually, depending on their financial background.
Despite being a revolving fund, the increase in loan defaulters has compounded the board’s challenges in meeting the demand.
The situation underscores the urgent need for increased funding to ensure that all qualified students have access to higher education.
