USIU-A fees 2026: paybill, M-PESA, HELB, portal
USIU-Africa is the largest US-accredited university in East Africa with credit-hour tuition pricing. Fees route through paybill 516900 with the student ID as account. The 519162 this page carried until 14 September 2026 does not resolve to any business at all.
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M-PESA paybill
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516 900
How to pay USIU-A fees via M-PESA
- 1
Find your USIU-A registration number
Your registration number is on your admission letter or in the My USIU-Africa portal. Format: Your USIU student ID (8 digits, e.g. 65xxxxxx).
- 2
Open Lipa na M-PESA, Pay Bill
M-PESA app or *334# or *144#, choose Lipa na M-PESA, then Pay Bill.
- 3
Enter paybill: 516900
516900 is the dedicated USIU-A fees paybill. The M-PESA recipient name should read USIU-A or close variant.
- 4
Enter account number, amount, PIN, Confirm
Account number: Your USIU student ID (8 digits, e.g. 65xxxxxx).
Read the recipient name and amount before tapping send. A typo in the reference lands your payment in a holding account that takes manual finance-office intervention to clear.
- 5
Save the M-PESA SMS
The 10-character transaction code is your receipt and your fallback if the portal does not update. Keep it for 90 days minimum.
Application fee
Application fee: KES 4,000 (undergraduate) or KES 5,000 (postgraduate). Paybill: 516900. Application fees use the same paybill 516900 with the application reference from the admissions portal.
HELB and USIU-A
The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) pays the awarded tuition portion directly to USIU-A, on a disbursement schedule tied to the academic semester. You pay the difference between your fee invoice and the HELB award out of pocket. HELB does not cover accommodation, books, or personal expenses for most undergraduate awards.
Check your HELB award status at the start of each semester at helb.co.ke before paying out of pocket. The My USIU-Africa portal shows your invoice net of HELB once the disbursement lands; if your portal still shows the full invoice in week 2 of the semester, the HELB disbursement has not arrived yet.
Accommodation
USIU has on-campus halls for first-years. Accommodation fees are billed alongside tuition and paid via the same paybill.
When things break
- Payment not reflecting after 2 hours. Most common cause: wrong reference. Compare the M-PESA SMS account field against the portal-generated code. If they match, take the M-PESA transaction code to the finance office.
- M-PESA SMS shows the wrong recipient name. You paid a scam paybill. Reverse via *456# (or forward the M-PESA SMS to 456) within 7 days. The M-PESA SMS recipient name for legitimate USIU-A payments will read USIU-A or close variant.
- Lost the transaction code. Dial *334# > My Account > M-PESA Statement, or check the M-PESA app under Transactions. Statements cover 12 months by default; older payments need a Safaricom request.
- Portal says I owe more than I paid. Possible HELB disbursement not yet posted. Check HELB award status at helb.co.ke; if confirmed but not reflecting on the portal, raise with finance.
FAQ
What is the USIU-A paybill in 2026?
The USIU-A paybill is 516900. Account number: Your USIU student ID (8 digits, e.g. 65xxxxxx). The M-PESA SMS recipient name should read USIU-A or close variant.
How do I pay USIU-A fees via M-PESA?
Lipa na M-PESA, Pay Bill, paybill 516900, account = your USIU-A registration number, amount, PIN, Confirm. Reflects on the My USIU-Africa portal within 5 to 30 minutes.
My USIU-A fees payment has not reflected on the portal. What do I do?
Most reflections happen within 30 minutes. If it has been longer than 2 hours: (1) check the M-PESA SMS that the recipient name and amount are correct; (2) compare the account/reference you typed against the one shown in your portal, even a single wrong digit lands the payment in a holding account; (3) take the M-PESA transaction code plus your portal reference to the USIU-A finance office; they can manually post a held payment. Keep the transaction code for 90 days minimum.
Does HELB pay USIU-A fees directly?
Yes for the awarded tuition portion. HELB disburses directly to USIU-A on a schedule tied to the academic semester (typically within the first 4 to 6 weeks of the semester). You pay the difference between your fee invoice and the HELB award out of pocket. Check your HELB award status before each semester at helb.co.ke so you know the amount to pay yourself.
What is the USIU-A application fee?
KES 4,000 (undergraduate) or KES 5,000 (postgraduate). Application fees use the same paybill 516900 with the application reference from the admissions portal.
Can I pay USIU-A fees from M-PESA Global if I am in the diaspora?
Yes. Paybill 516900 accepts M-PESA Global payments from supported countries (UK, USA, UAE, South Africa, etc.). FX at the Safaricom M-PESA Global rate. Many diaspora households also send to a Kenyan family member who pays locally; depending on the corridor, that can be cheaper.
What happens if I pay the wrong amount to USIU-A?
Overpayments credit your fee account and roll forward to the next semester. Underpayments leave a balance that must be cleared before exam registration. If you typed the wrong account/reference and the payment landed in a holding account, contact the USIU-A finance office with the M-PESA transaction code; they reconcile manually.
Last verified: June 2026. Paybill 516900 confirmed against United States International University - Africa official sources and the Safaricom M-PESA app. We refresh quarterly and within 48 hours of any paybill or portal change. How we verify. Report a change.