About HELB
The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) was established by an act of Parliament CAP 213A of 1995.When it was establish it took over all the function and the responsibilities of management of higher education financing which was by then being managed by the University Student Loans Scheme (USLS) a department in the Ministry of Education. Under the scheme, Kenyan students pursuing higher education at Makerere, Nairobi and Dar-es-Salaam universities received loans to cover their tuition and personal needs, which they would repay on completion of their education.
However it is important to note that financing of higher education started in 1952 when the then colonial government awarded loans under the Higher Education Loans Fund [HELF] to Kenyans pursuing university education in universities outside East Africa notably Britain, the USA, the former USSR, India and South Africa. The University Student Loans Scheme (USLS) lacked the legal basis to recover the matured loans. In addition, the general public and the beneficiaries wrongly perceived that the loan was a grant from the government, which was not to be repaid. It is against this background that, HELB was established with the mandate of sourcing for funds, allocating and disbursing to needy Kenyan pursuing higher education in recognized institution of higher learning. It also has the mandate of recovering all mature loans disbursed since 1974.
Our Stakeholders
The Board serves a multi-stakeholder community. These stakeholders include:
- Government of Kenya
- County Governments and Constituencies
- Universities, TVET Colleges and Secondary Schools
- Financial institutions who facilitate remittance of loans to students
- Employers who employ HELB loan beneficiaries
- Public sector institutions
- Private sector organizations
- Development partners
- Philanthropic organizations
- HELB loan beneficiaries [Loanees]
- General public
Our Vision
A loan available for every deserving Kenyan enrolled in higher education
Our Mission
To provide affordable loans to Kenyans pursuing higher education through adequate mobilization and prudent management of resources
Our Values
Values are an integral part of an organization’s culture which in turn creates a sense of identity, belonging, direction and purpose. In our quest for timely provision of quality services, we are guided by the following values as articulated in our revised Strategic Plan 2013-2018:
- Professionalism
We are committed to serving our customers with utmost competence in every aspect of our tasks. We strive to act with care and diligence - Integrity
We strive to adhere to the highest ethical standards in performing our duties, act in good faith, and demonstrate highest level of integrity by creating an atmosphere of trust and confidence. - Courtesy
We endeavour to be attentive and considerate at all times - Equity
We endeavor to be fair and impartial in all our interactions and engagements.
