Where do first-year students apply for a HELB loan in 2026/27?

On the Higher Education Financing (HEF) portal at hef.co.ke, under the Student-Centred Funding Model. One application covers the HELB loan and the government scholarship or bursary. You need your official admission letter from the university or TVET institution before you start.

What was the 2026/27 first-time deadline?

The Universities Fund said the portal opened on 8 July 2026. On 3 September 2026 the Kenya News Agency reported the Cabinet Secretary directing an extension for all eligible applicants to 21 September 2026. That is the latest official deadline we could find on 16 October 2026. If you missed it, check hef.co.ke and HELB's official channels for any late window rather than paying anyone who offers to apply for you.

Do students at private universities get HELB loans?

Yes, if the university is chartered and you were placed by KUCCPS or admitted as self-sponsored. But the Universities Fund says students admitted to private universities qualify only for HELB loans, not the government scholarship.

Is the new funding model still legal after the court case?

For now, yes. The Universities Fund reports that the Court of Appeal reinstated the funding model on 26 March 2025 pending a final decision. In September 2026 the Cabinet Secretary said the model continues for 2026/27 and that transition arrangements will follow once Parliament passes the Tertiary Education Placement and Funding Bill, 2026.

What interest does a HELB undergraduate loan charge?

HELB states 4% interest plus a KSh 1,000 ledger fee per year. Repayment starts within one year of completing your studies.

Does anyone charge a fee to apply?

There is no fee to apply on the HEF portal or *642#. Treat any agent, cyber or WhatsApp contact who wants money to "process" or "fast-track" a HELB application as a scam.

HELB 2026/27 loan application: first-time and subsequent

Q: How do continuing students apply for the subsequent HELB loan?

Through USSD *642#, the HELB Mobile App or the HELB mini app inside the M-PESA app. HELB says the option is for students awarded a scholarship or loan in the previous academic year, and that the mobile number must be registered in the student's own name or the application will not proceed.

Two different systems sit behind the word “HELB” in 2026, and most confusion comes from mixing them up. Which one you use depends on when you joined university or TVET, not on which year you are in now.

Which route is yours

First-time applicants for 2026/27 (new university and TVET students): the HEF portal, under the Student-Centred Funding Model. One form covers the HELB loan, the Universities Fund or TVET scholarship, and any bursary.
Continuing students who received a loan or scholarship last year: the subsequent application on *642#, the HELB Mobile App or the HELB mini app in the M-PESA app.

First-time application on the HEF portal

On 16 October 2026 the HEF homepage still carried a banner saying the 2026/2027 application is open for first-time applicants, while its countdown showed the window as closed. The last official deadline we found was 21 September 2026 (below). When a window is open, have:

Your official admission letter from the university or TVET institution where you were placed. HEF says it is required before you apply.
A phone number in your own name, and an M-PESA number or bank account in your name for upkeep. The subsequent loan later relies on the same line.
Household information the means-testing form asks for. Answer it truthfully: the form decides how much of your cost is scholarship, loan and household contribution.

2026/27 dates

Opened: 8 July 2026, per the Universities Fund notice of 7 August 2026.
Planned close: the Universities Fund notice gave 6 September 2026; the Cabinet Secretary's statement of 3 September said the initial window closed on 31 August 2026.
Extended to 21 September 2026: the Kenya News Agency reported on 3 September 2026 that the Cabinet Secretary had directed the window extended for all eligible applicants to that date.

We found no official notice of a further extension on 16 October 2026. If you missed the window, go to hef.co.ke and HELB's official social channels for any late window, and contact your institution's financial aid office. Do not pay a cyber or an agent who says they can reopen it.

Subsequent (continuing student) loan

HELB says the subsequent application is for students awarded a scholarship or loan in the previous academic year. The USSD flow on its FAQ page:

Dial *642# on the line registered in your name.
Select the loan application option.
Choose your level: degree, diploma or certificate.
Select the academic year and follow the prompts to confirm.

HELB is explicit that “mobile numbers not registered in the student's name will not be able to proceed”. That applies on every channel, so if your line is in a parent's name, register a line in your own name first.

The Universities Fund said in August 2026 that continuing applications were already open. News outlets reported a HELB post extending the subsequent-loan deadline to 21 September 2026; we could not find that notice on helb.co.ke itself, so treat the date as reported rather than confirmed.

Private universities and KUCCPS

HELB's undergraduate loan is for Bachelor's degree students at public or chartered private universities, whether placed through KUCCPS or self-sponsored, parallel or Module II. The difference at private universities is the scholarship: the Universities Fund says students admitted to private universities qualify only for loans through HELB. Budget for the part of the fees a scholarship would otherwise have covered.

How much you get

Under the model, government scholarships cover between 30% and 70% of the cost depending on need, according to the Universities Fund, with the rest split between a HELB loan and a household contribution.

Several news outlets have printed a five-band table for 2026/27 with exact percentages and upkeep amounts. We have not reproduced it, because none of the official HELB, HEF or Universities Fund pages we could reach publishes it. Your own award letter on the HEF portal is the figure that counts.

Where the court case stands

The funding model was challenged in the High Court, which ruled against it. The Universities Fund reports that the Court of Appeal reinstated the model on 26 March 2025, pending a final decision. We found no final appeal judgment as of 16 October 2026. In September 2026 the Cabinet Secretary said 2026/27 continues under the model, and that transition arrangements will start once Parliament passes the Tertiary Education Placement and Funding Bill, 2026.

The loan itself

Interest: HELB states 4% a year plus a KSh 1,000 ledger fee per year on undergraduate loans.
When repayment starts: within one year of completing your studies, or earlier if the Board decides.
Money: tuition goes straight to the institution; upkeep goes to your bank or mobile money account. See HELB disbursement and upkeep withdrawal.

The fee scam

Every application window brings messages offering to “process” HELB for a fee. Applying on the HEF portal and *642# costs nothing. If someone needs your ID, KCSE index and a payment to apply on your behalf, that is how accounts get hijacked and upkeep diverted.