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Verified 12 September 2026

How to Pay School Fees to a National Bank School Account

By Arnold Ochieng · School Fees Kenya hub · paybillke is an independent guide and is not affiliated with School Fees Kenya.

If your school banks with National Bank of Kenya, pay on M-PESA paybill 625625, and for the account enter SCH, then the school's NBK school code, then the pupil's admission number, all as one string with no spaces. One paybill serves every NBK school; the account string is what tells the bank which school and which pupil. You can also pay on NatMobile by dialling *625#, or over the counter at any NBK branch.

The M-PESA steps

  1. Open M-PESA, choose Lipa na M-PESA, then Pay Bill.
  2. Business number: 625625.
  3. Account: SCH + school code + admission number, run together (for example SCH26065 followed by the admission number).
  4. Enter the amount, enter your PIN, confirm.
  5. Keep the M-PESA confirmation. It is your receipt if the bursar queries it.

The account is the part people get wrong

It is not the school's bank account number, and it is not the admission number on its own. The directory on NBK's site lists a long account number beside each school (the 01224055546400 kind); that is the school's internal bank account and is not what you type into M-PESA. What goes in the M-PESA account field is SCH plus the school code plus the admission number.

Get either part wrong and the money can land against the wrong pupil or sit unallocated, so check both before you send.

Many schools have more than one code

This catches people out. A single school often holds several NBK accounts, each with its own code, split by what the money is for: tuition, text books, building or development fund. NBK's own directory shows the same school listed two or three times with different codes and account names, some marked things like "B Fund" or "Text Bk". Use the exact code the school gives you for the fee you are paying, not whichever one you find first.

Finding your school's code

Search all 12,266 NBK school codes here. We hold a full copy of the directory NBK publishes on its School Fee Payment page, read on 12 September 2026, and give you the finished M-PESA account string rather than leaving you to assemble it. Enter the admission number and it builds the whole thing.

The bursar is still the better answer when a school has several accounts and you are unsure which one covers the fee you are paying.

Paying from an NBK account instead (NatMobile *625#)

  1. Dial *625# on the line registered to your NBK account.
  2. Choose the payment menu, then school fees payment.
  3. Enter the school code.
  4. Enter the pupil's admission number.
  5. Enter the amount, confirm the details and send.

Over the counter and other ways

You can pay at any NBK branch over the counter, and NBK customers can use the NatMobile app as well as the USSD menu. Branch payment suits large amounts or anyone who wants a stamped slip for the school. Take the school code and admission number with you either way.

If it does not reflect

Keep the M-PESA message and give the transaction code to the bursar; most payments credit within minutes. If the school cannot trace it, the likeliest cause is a wrong school code, and NBK can trace the payment from the transaction code.
School-fee collection, four Kenyan banks (paybills verified; account formats as each bank publishes them)
BankM-PESA paybillWhat goes in the account field
National Bank (NBK)625625SCH + school code + admission number, no spaces
Co-operative Bank400222SCHOOLCODE#STUDENTNUMBER
KCB522533 (or Lipa Karo 522123)The school and student reference the school gives
Equity247247The school's Equity collection account plus the student reference

Frequently asked

What is the NBK school fees paybill?

625625, for every school that banks with National Bank. It is not the same as NBK's general paybill 547700, which is for sending money to an NBK account.

What do I put as the account number?

SCH, then your school's NBK school code, then the pupil's admission number, all together with no spaces.

Is the account the long number next to my school in the directory?

No. That is the school's own bank account number. M-PESA takes the SCH string instead.

Why does my school have several codes?

Schools commonly hold separate NBK accounts for tuition, text books and development or building fund, each with its own code. Use the one the school names for the fee you are paying.

Can I pay without a smartphone?

Yes. Dial *625# on NatMobile to pay from an NBK account, or use M-PESA paybill 625625 from any phone.