Fresh relief is in sight for students waiting for higher education funding after the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) confirmed the release of funds for five additional batches to their respective institutions.
The board said the money had been processed and disbursed to institutions for onward processing, with affected students now required to confirm the status of their funds through the HELB student portal or by contacting their institutions.
The batches covered in the latest update are Helb-007139, Helb-007145, Helb-007147, Helb-007146 and Helb-007132.
HELB communicated the development to students as it continued processing funding for learners relying on financial support to continue with their studies.
“Good news students! Batches Helb-007139, 007145, 007147, 007146 and 007132 have been processed and disbursed to institutions,” Helb said.
Students whose batch numbers feature in the announcement have been advised to log into their individual HELB portals and establish the current position of their funds.
They can also approach their respective institutions for information on when the money will be reflected or become available for the purpose for which it was released.
The disbursement is expected to help students who have been waiting for funding to manage tuition and other costs associated with pursuing higher education.
HELB provides loans and other financial assistance to eligible Kenyan students enrolled in higher education programmes.
The board has increasingly shifted its services to digital platforms, enabling students to apply for funding, monitor their applications and access information relating to their loans online.
Despite confirming that the five batches had been released, HELB did not give the total value of the funds disbursed or state how many students were covered by the latest allocation.
Students whose batch numbers were not included in the latest communication will have to wait for further updates from the board as more funding is processed and released.
HELB has asked beneficiaries to regularly monitor their student portals for updates concerning the processing and disbursement of their funds.
Institutions also remain a key point of contact for students seeking clarification on the status of money already sent to them by the board.
The latest release comes at a time when students and institutions continue to depend on HELB funding to support learners through their higher education programmes.
For students covered by the five batches, the board's confirmation that the funds have been sent to institutions means they can now follow up on the next stage of the disbursement process.
HELB said the funds had been processed and disbursed to the respective institutions, with beneficiaries advised to confirm with their institutions when the money will be reflected and how it can be accessed.