Kenyans whose salaries are still being deducted for Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) loans after they have cleared their balances can apply to stop salary deductions.
During repayment of the loan, the board clarifies that a loanee is required to submit a monthly installment that does not exceed 25% of their basic salary.
Loans to salaried students, on the other hand, are expected to be repaid within 48 months upon disbursement.
“In deducting a loanee, the monthly installments should not exceed 25% of a loanee’s basic pay. Loans to salaried students are expected to be repaid within 48 months upon disbursement,” the loan board notes.
According to HELB, borrowers must verify their loan statements and confirm that their employers have stopped deductions.
Further, the applicant is required by the board to submit a refund request to HELB for any overpayments made through salary deductions.
Alternatively, borrowers whose salaries continue to be deducted after repayment can contact HELB to resolve the issue.
How to Check HELB Salary Deductions
Borrowers should log in to the HELB Loanees Portal and check their loan statements to establish whether all repayments have been credited.
To check the loan statement, the applicant must log in using their account; if they do not have one, they must register a new account.
New applicants must provide a National Identification card, a valid email address, and a registered phone number.
After logging in, the applicant can compare the statement with repayment records, including bank receipts, M-Pesa confirmations, and pay slips.
Also Read: HELB Releases New Student Loan Batches to Institutions: How to Check Your Status
Steps to Stop Salary Deductions
If the balance from the loan is zero, the applicant should follow up with the board to confirm that the loan has been cleared and that the necessary instructions to stop deductions have been issued to their employer.
Employees can also contact their human resources or payroll department to establish whether it has received the relevant communication from HELB.
Where the account still shows an outstanding balance despite the borrower having completed repayment, the borrower should contact HELB to have the discrepancy reviewed.
Pay slips and repayment records are required to establish whether all deductions have been accounted for.
However, the board clarifies that a payment confirmation message does not establish the amount allocation to the loan statement.
“Pay slip balance includes both accrued and projected interest. The HELB statement balance includes only accrued interest. Please confirm with your loan statement and seek clearance from HELB,” HELB directs.
Also Read: HELB Disbursement: What Students Need to Know Before Accessing Upkeep via M-Pesa
How to Check and Apply for a Refund
To check whether an overpayment is reflected, applicants should log in to the HELB portal, select Loan Statement, and then open Loan Overpayment to review their repayment records.
HELB requires borrowers seeking refunds to complete the Loan Recovery Inquiry Form and select “Refund due to over deductions.”
The form requires applicants to provide personal details, education history, employment information, loan repayment records, and banking details.
Personal information includes the applicant’s full name, National Identity Card number, university registration number, institution attended, course, period of study, postal address, telephone number, and email address.
Employment details include the employer’s name and address, employment number where applicable, payroll number, monthly deduction, and the period during which repayments were made.
Applicants must also provide their bank name, branch, account name, and account number, and a copy of the applicant’s ATM card.
The form can be submitted at HELB’s offices at Anniversary Towers in Nairobi, and the refund request is processed within 60 days from the refund initiation date.
According to the HELB Inquiry Form, HELB does not refund overpayments below KSh1,000 and advises borrowers to donate the excess amount to support a needy student.
For assistance, borrowers can email [email protected] or call 0711 052 000.
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