After the government announced a major revision of university tuition fees effective September 1, 2025, all students — both newly placed and continuing must now check their updated fee structures and reapply for government funding through the Higher Education Financing (HEF) portal.
According to the new directive, first-year students will log in to the HEF Portal at https://www.hef.co.ke to confirm their Household Contribution.
Upon completion of the application process, students will receive a breakdown of their financing package, including the HELB loan amount, government scholarship, and the portion they are required to pay.
Only after paying the stated household contribution can they complete registration and access university services.
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How Students Can Check Fees and Reapply for University Funding After Review
Continuing students who are already beneficiaries of government scholarships must also reapply for the 2025/2026 academic year.
Universities have emphasized that failure to reapply will result in loss of financial support.
Reapplication is mandatory each academic year and must be done through the HEF portal or by dialing *642#.
Govt Slashes University Fees
This comes after the Ministry of Education, on Thursday, July 31, announced a significant reduction in university fees for all academic programmes in public institutions. The move follows months of consultations with the public, students, and higher education stakeholders.
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The directive also marks a major shift under the new Student-Centred Funding Model, which aims to make university education more affordable and accessible while ensuring the sustainability of institutions.
This revision will further ease the financial burden on students and families, particularly those from low-income backgrounds, while ensuring universities can still maintain quality education.
“This bold step reaffirms our commitment to ensuring affordable, accessible, and quality university education,” said Higher Education Principal Secretary Beatrice Inyangala in a letter to Vice Chancellors and Principals of Constituent Colleges.
The government clarified that the full cost of academic programmes will continue to be met through a combination of tuition fees, scholarships, and student loans, depending on the financial needs of individual learners.
Public universities were directed to update their admissions and finance portals to reflect the new fee structure in readiness for the September intake.
This marks the second year of the government’s new university funding model, which replaced the blanket subsidy approach with a needs-based formula targeting vulnerable and low-income households.
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Fees structure