The government has announced that students enrolled in the Advocates Training Programme at the Kenya School of Law (KSL) for the 2025/2026 academic year will not receive student loans from the Higher Education and Loans Board (HELB).
Studies for the Advocates Training Programme (ATP) are set to commence on February 10, 2025, after KSL opened applications in August last year with the deadline lapsing on October 31, 2024.
The Kenya School of Law established a Legal Education Fund in 2021 to assist students undertaking the ATP pay their tuition fees which is administered by HELB on behalf of the school.
However, KSL Director Henry Mutai in a notice on January 14, announced that students taking the ATP this year will not receive the funds due to the current budgetary constraints experienced by the government.
KSL explains why ATP Students will not receive HELB Funds for 25/26 year
The school explained that it was unable to set aside resources to replenish the Legal Education Fund in the current financial year.
“Unfortunately, due to the current budgetary constraints being experienced by the government, the school was unable to set aside any resources to replenish the Fund in the current financial year. As a result, we regret to inform our incoming ATP students for the academic year 2025/2026 that the school is not able to offer any tuition loan,” the notice by the KSL Director reads in part.
Also Read: HELB Opens Loan and Bursary Application Portal for Select Students
The announcement by KSL comes a day after HELB opened its portal for the Kenya Accountants and Secretaries National Examinations Board (KASNEB) Foundation loans and bursaries.
In a statement on January 13, HELB said the scheme will cater for KASNEB fees, registration, exam, renewal, exemption fees and tuition in KASNEB Accredited Institutions.
Current KASNEB students and new students interested in pursuing KASNEB qualifications are eligible for the loans and bursaries.
Kenya School of Law Lists Requirements
While announcing applications for the 25/26 ATP, KSL highlighted that interested applicants admitted into the Bachelor of Laws degree (LL. B) after December 2014 and those admitted before 2014 were eligible, provided they met listed requirements.
Also Read: Govt Lists Universities Allowed to Offer Law Degrees & Diplomas in 2025
Applicants who are graduates of Kenyan universities or foreign universities and those who were admitted into the LL. B after 8th December 2014 were to have a have a mandatory mean grade of C (plus) in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examination (KCSE) or its equivalent.
They were also required to have attained a minimum of grade B (plain) in English Language or Kiswahili in their KCSE and ought to have passed in the mandatory 16 core subjects as stipulated in the Second Schedule of the Legal Education Act, 2012.
On the other hand, the applicants were required to be holders of or be eligible for conferment of an LL. B degree from a university recognized in Kenya.
Applicants who are graduates of foreign universities were required to obtain clearance from the Council of Legal Education (CLE) and sit, pass the Pre-Bar Examination as provided under the Second Schedule to the Kenya School of Law Act, part 1 (b) (iii).
Candidates who have attained a minimum of two (2) principals and one (1) subsidiary totaling to an aggregate of ten (10) points in the Kenya Advanced Certificate of Education (KACE) or its equivalent, were also eligible to apply.
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