Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu has extended the application period for scholarship and HELB loan applications for new students joining higher institutions of learning.
In a press statement on Wednesday, September 6, CS Machogu explained that the extension will give the students who have not applied to send their applications.
“The application period for loans and scholarships that was initially scheduled to lapse on September 7, 2023, has now been extended to October 7, 2023.
“I urge all eligible students to make applications through the higher education financing portal,” said Machogu.
National ID Requirement for HELB
Further, CS Machogu said the ministry has removed National ID as a requirement for the application.
This is to allow students who have not attained the age of 18 years to apply for loans.
“The Ministry has directed the Higher Education Loans Board (Helb) to review its portal to ensure all the 2,000 students yet to attain the age of 18 can apply for the loans, “said Machogu.
Additionally, the CS directed the University Fund and Higher Education Loans Board to put in place measures to commence immediate and speedy processing of scholarships and bursaries for all students who have already applied.
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Also, CS Machogu assured the country that no student will miss joining university because of failure to pay fees.
He added that the government has put measures in place to ensure 100 percent student application for the scholarship and loans for the academic year 2023/2024.
“Out of the 2022 KCSE candidates placed by the Kenya University and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS), students categorized as vulnerable and extremely needy will get full government funding scholarship and loans,” stated CS Machogu.
Low Turnout
According to reports, as of Tuesday, September 5, only 152,957 applications had been made from the expected 285,167.
This translates to only 58 per cent of students who qualified for university from the 2022 KCSE cohort.
This means that 42 percent of the students placed by the KUCCPS to universities had not yet applied for HELB loan.
This comes as universities and colleges admit new students pending the release of funds under the new funding model.
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Free admission
Previously, CS Machogu directed all public universities, colleges and TVETS to admit first year students and trainees pending the processing of their funding applications.
Machogu said the students and trainees who have already acquired placement to various colleges and universities are currently in the process of applying for funding through the newly unveiled funding model.
