The Higher Education Financing has opened applications for the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) and Universities Fund (UF) scholarships and loans appeals.
This comes days after HELB and UF invited the public for comments on the loans and scholarships appeals mechanism.
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HELB Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Geoffrey Monari and UF Acting CEO Dr. Edwin Wanyonyi announced in a notice on Tuesday, April 1, 2025.
In an update, on Friday, April 4, UF said that the step-by-step appeals process had been made public by the Higher Education Financing hours before the 2024/25 appeals portal opens at 8:00 pm.
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“Not satisfied with your scholarship allocation? Here’s How to Submit an Appeal on the Higher Education Funding (HEF) Portal,” said UF.
HELB and Universities Fund scholarship and loan appeals mechanism
In the review of appeal reasons, it is important to note that each appeal is assessed concerning the comparable Means Testing Instrument (MTI) score from the initial application assessment.
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New and substantiated information provided by the student during the appeal process, on the other hand, may result in an additional score adjustment if it affects the overall assessment of need.
Also Read: Govt Clarifies Reverting to Old University Funding Model
However, if the student provides information that was already submitted and evaluated during the initial application, no additional score adjustment will be made.
“This ensures that appeals are processed fairly and transparently, reflecting only new or previously unconsidered details in the scoring,” notes HEF.
HEF has ranked the appeal reasons consideration (only one reason as submitted by student) according to MTI variables affected.
Appeal reasons under affirmative consideration MTI
Raised by single parent now deceased, both parent deceased, unavailable parents-abandoned, mother/father suffering from mental illness, person with a disability, and family under GoK cash transfer program.
Other reasons include family receives support from department of social protection, and chronic medical condition within family (must be parent, sibling, or self).
Appeal reasons under family structure MTI
Mother/father is deceased.
Appeal reasons under sponsored in primary/secondary School MTIs
Applicant sponsored in primary/secondary school.
Appeal reasons under monthly household income per capita – adjustment MTI
Loss of parental income (father/mother)
Appeal reasons under siblings in higher education and see computation MTIs
Another sibling in higher education applying for funding, and unable to manage household contribution respectively.
Also Read: Court of Appeal Suspends Court Ruling That Nullified University Funding Model
How to appeal
The appeals mechanism is available on the Higher Education Financing portal (www.hef.co.ke).
In addition, the comments/submissions responses for the appeals mechanism were supposed to run until April 4 at 5:00 pm, before the appeals portal was at 8.00 pm on the same day.
To appeal, students are required to sign in HEF’s HELB and Universities Fund scholarship and loans appeals portal (www.hef.co.ke).
The appeals application process remains open for a period of 21 days from April 1, 2025, to allow for aggrieved students to provide their submissions.
In addition, HELB and UF are in the process of analyzing the appeals application data collected and are committed to providing feedback to each of the affected students.
“We wish to notify the general public and all stakeholders, including students, parents, guardians, and Higher Learning Institutions that the Variable Scholarship Loan Funding Model being subject to an ongoing court appeal process, may change in future depending on the outcome of the appeal before the Court,” said HELB.
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