Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu recently launched the Higher Education Financing Portal, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at providing financial support to university and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) students in Kenya.
This portal will allow eligible students to access scholarships, bursaries, and loans from the government, ensuring that every Kenyan student receives the necessary financial assistance based on their level of need.
The initiative comes in response to President William Ruto’s directive on May 3, 2023, regarding the roll-out of a new funding model for higher education.
With the completion of the Higher Education Financing portal, students can now apply for financial support conveniently through the platform.
The new model seeks to create equal opportunities for students from all backgrounds to access university and TVET education.
Education CS Machogu emphasized that continuing students under the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) will not be affected by the new funding model.
Instead, the focus will be on providing comprehensive funding for vulnerable and extremely needy students among the 2022 KCSE graduates.
Over 45,000 university students and 42,000 TVET students in this category will receive full funding through Government Scholarships and Loans.
President Ruto clarified in May that the new funding model will not increase university fees, assuring that the government will allocate increased funds to learning institutions.
The model categorizes students into three groups: the vulnerable, the less vulnerable, and those able to receive funding.
To access the Higher Education Financing portal, students can visit hef.co.ke, where they will find various services related to education for higher learning institutions.
The platform offers a user-friendly dashboard and log-in options for account access and student registration.
New students joining universities or colleges in September 2023 can apply for loans through the platform by providing essential details, including education qualifications, bio data, such as ID numbers and secondary school index numbers, and addresses.
