If you are heading into university or TVET in Kenya this year, or you are a continuing student needing another year of funding, HELB is usually the first stop before tuition day arrives. The 2026/2027 cycle has moved in stages rather than opening all at once, so it helps to know exactly which window applies to you before you try to log in.
Key dates for 2026/2027
HELB rolled out this cycle's applications in stages rather than a single opening date.
KMTC students were able to start applying from 1 June 2026. Continuing students applying for a subsequent loan could apply from 1 June 2026 as well, through USSD by dialling *642# or through the student portal. First-time applicants, meaning students newly placed into university or TVET by KUCCPS, had their window open on 10 July 2026, a couple of days after KUCCPS released its 2026 placement results on 8 July. That first-time application window is set to close on 8 September 2026.
Because these dates come from HELB's own announcements and news coverage of them rather than a fixed annual calendar, it is worth checking the official HELB site or the Higher Education Financing portal directly before you apply, in case a deadline gets extended or moved.
Where to apply
First-time applicants apply through the Higher Education Financing portal at hef.co.ke, not the older HELB student portal. This is where you will register, fill in your details, and apply for a scholarship, a loan, or both in a single process, since HELB now determines your funding mix under the Student-Centred Funding Model rather than you choosing a product upfront.
Continuing students applying for a subsequent loan use their existing HELB portal account, or the USSD code *642#, since they are already registered in the system from a previous loan.
What first-time applicants need before they start
Have these ready before you sit down to apply, since missing documents are the main reason applications stall:
A valid email address and a phone number registered in your own name. Your KCPE and KCSE index numbers along with the year you sat each exam. A passport-sized photo and a copy of your National ID. Your official admission letter from the university or TVET institution, since HELB will not process an application without confirmed placement. Your birth certificate, and a death certificate if either parent has passed away. Your parents' national ID numbers and phone numbers. The ID numbers and phone numbers of two guarantors, who can be your parents.
If you already have a HELB account from a previous KCSE index number based application, update your existing details on the HEF portal rather than creating a new account, since duplicate accounts tend to cause delays rather than solve them.
How the funding model works
Since the introduction of the Student-Centred Funding Model, HELB no longer works purely on a flat loan amount for everyone. Applications are assessed on need, with students placed into bands ranging from extremely needy to less needy, and the mix of scholarship, loan, and bursary you receive depends on which band you fall into. This is also why the application now covers all three types of funding in one form instead of separate applications.
Tips to avoid delays or rejection
Apply as early as possible within your window rather than waiting until the last week, since processing tends to slow down as volumes build up closer to the deadline. Use a laptop or desktop where possible rather than a phone browser, since the form has many fields and mobile sessions are more likely to time out midway. Double check that every document is a clear scan or photo, saved as JPG or PDF, and under the file size limit before uploading. Make sure your guarantors' details are accurate and reachable, since HELB will attempt to verify them. Save your application acknowledgement or batch number once you submit, since you will need it to track your status afterward.
Once submitted, HELB typically takes a few weeks to process an application, so check your status periodically through the portal rather than assuming silence means a problem.
If you are still waiting on your KUCCPS placement or trying to understand how the placement process feeds into all of this, our KUCCPS placement guide walks through what happens before you ever get to the HELB stage.