What is the New Higher Education Funding (HEF) Model?
The New Higher Education Funding (HEF) model is a new way of providing financial support to students enrolled in Universities & TVET institutions to ensure loans and bursaries are allocated to students based on their assessed level of need.Â
HEF offers a dynamic combination of financial support options. It combines loan, scholarships and household contributions.
- Scholarships – Highly deserving and financially challenged students can qualify for full or partial scholarships to cover their educational expenses.
- Loans – Students can access loan facilities to finance their studies, with repayment expected after completing their education and securing employment.
- Household Contribution – HEF encourages families, according to their means, to contribute towards their children’s education. The Means Testing Instrument (MTI) is a reliable method used to determine the appropriate level of household contribution.
Students are expected to individually apply for the loans and scholarships for consideration for funding.
This new model is eligible to those who sat for Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams in 2022 and are expected to join universities and TVET colleges in academic year 2023/2024
Who is Eligible for the Loans and Scholarships?
All students enrolled in institutions of higher learning in Kenya, ie. public and private universities, colleges and TVET are eligible to apply for funding from the government. There’s a difference though in the kind of funding you will get depending on the type of institution:
- Loans + Scholarships combined – students placed by Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) in public universities and TVET colleges under the Ministry of Education (MoE) are eligible for both government scholarships and loans.
- Loans Only –Students seeking to pursue their studies in private universities and as parallel/module two/self-sponsored students in public universities are eligible for loans only.
How much will I receive in terms of loans and scholarships?
The short answer – it depend. The amount disbursed varies on your level on need (explained further below), the cost of the course you’re enrolled and the type of university you’ve been enrolled in (private vs private university or TVET).
Remember that the funding amount disbursed to students is now a ratio of the three categories: scholarships, loans and household contributions. This ratio is determined on a graduated scale which is scientifically determined by a Means Testing Instrument (MTI) tool which determines every student’s level of need.
Students are categorized into four levels of need:
- Vulnerable
- Extremely needy
- Needy and
- Less needy
Let’s break down what this means in terms of funding:
- Vulnerable students will be fully funded through government scholarships, loans and bursaries.
- Extremely needy students will be fully funded through government scholarships, loans and bursaries.
- For the needy and less needy student, the amounts depend on the type of institution the student has been enrolled in as explained below
- Needy students
- University – will receive 40% government scholarship, 53% loans and 7% household contribution
- TVET – will receive 50% government scholarship, 30% loans and 20% household contribution
- Less needy students
- University – will receive 38% government scholarship, 55% loans and 7% household contribution
- TVET – will receive 32% government scholarship, 48% loans and 20% household contribution
Who administers the loans?
The New Higher Education Funding (HEF) model works with the following government departments:
- The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) is charged with the provision of loans and bursaries to students enrolled in TVET Colleges and Private and Public Universities
- Universities Fund – which is in charge of the provision of Undergraduate Scholarships to Government Sponsored Students enrolled in Public Universities. The University Funding Board will be expected to share information with students on available sources of funding through its portal and streamline the application process.
- State Department of Technical Education – for provision of TVET scholarships
Where to apply for the HEF Loan
The application process for HEF loan application is typically conducted through the HELB online portal:
To make the HEF loan application visit the HEF portal and fill in the form with the relevant information. Make sure you have a valid email address because all further correspondence will be sent there.
Requirements to apply for Higher Education for Undergraduate and TVET
The following list shows the details required to apply for funding towards your undergraduate/TVET studies in Universities, Colleges and Institutes in Kenya
- A valid email address for the applicant (Student)
- Valid telephone number (that is registered in your name in order to apply for a loan)
- Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) index numbers and year of examination
- Passport size photo
- Copy of your National ID
- University/College/Institute admission letter
- Parents’/guardians registered telephone number
- Parents’/guardians national ID number
- Death certificate if any of your parent is deceased.
- Copy of your birth certificate
- Two guarantors’ (parents/guardians) ID numbers and registered telephone numbers
- Copy of the sponsorship letter if your Secondary school studies were sponsored