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How to Apply for HELB Loans and Scholarships Successfully (2026)

By ZaKenya Editorial 3 min read
How to Apply for HELB Loans and Scholarships Successfully (2026)

Key points

  • First-time undergraduate/TVET funding is on the Higher Education Financing portal: portal.hef.co.ke (from hef.co.ke).
  • Continuing students use HELB subsequent channels: helb.co.ke and USSD *642# (HELB said subsequent 2026/2027 opened 1 June 2026).
  • HEF: fill the form yourself. Services are free — ignore “fast-track” brokers.
  • If refused or stuck: missing admission letter, ID/phone not in your name, and incomplete means-testing are the usual causes. Use HELB contact centre, not WhatsApp agents.

Verified 18 September 2026. Requirements and first-time portal from hef.co.ke. Subsequent window and listed deadlines from helb.co.ke. Windows close — check the live portal the day you apply.

Official Higher Education Financing homepage, 18 September 2026
Official public page at hef.co.ke on 18 September 2026. Not a logged-in session. Type the URL yourself.

Two portals — do not mix them up

  • hef.co.ke / portal.hef.co.ke — first-time loan, bursary and scholarship (Student Centred Funding Model / means testing).
  • helb.co.ke — HELB corporate site, subsequent loans, repayment, compliance certificate. HELB also listed *642# for continuing students.

On 18 September 2026, HEF still advertised first-time 2026/2027 applications and required an official admission letter before you apply. HELB listed a first-time Undergraduate/TVET deadline of 21 September 2026 for FY 2026–2027. Treat that as a published date, not a promise the form is still open tomorrow.

What HEF listed as requirements (undergraduate & TVET)

  1. Valid email and telephone number.
  2. KCPE and KCSE index numbers and year of examination.
  3. Passport photo (jpeg/jpg/png).
  4. National ID / Maisha Card both sides (PDF).
  5. Bank details or M-Pesa number registered in the applicant’s name and ID.
  6. Parents’ National ID and registered telephone.
  7. Parent death certificate PDF if deceased.
  8. Birth certificate PDF if applying as a minor.
  9. Two guarantors’ ID numbers and phones (can be parents).
  10. Sponsorship letter PDF if you were sponsored in secondary school.

Source: hef.co.ke. HEF also links an application-steps PDF on helb.co.ke.

How to apply (first time)

  1. Open hef.co.ke and use the official “Apply” / portal.hef.co.ke link.
  2. Register with your ID (or KCSE index if the form allows for minors), email, and password. Activate from the email (check spam).
  3. Complete the means-testing / application form with names that match IDs.
  4. Upload the scans HEF asks for. Keep files small and readable.
  5. Submit and save the confirmation. HELB/HEF have said the application itself is free; some cycles charge about KES 1 via M-Pesa only to verify your number — pay only what the official screen shows.

If it goes wrong

  • Wrong portal: first-timers on helb.co.ke instead of HEF often stall. Start again on portal.hef.co.ke.
  • No admission letter: HEF said you need the university/TVET letter first (typically after KUCCPS placement).
  • Phone/M-Pesa not in your ID: registration fails or disbursement goes to someone else. Use a line in your name.
  • Broker: HEF: “Do not fall prey to online fraud. Our services are free.”

HELB contact centre (from hef.co.ke): Anniversary Towers, 19th Floor · 0711 052 000 · [email protected].

Official links

General information only. Award amounts follow means testing on the live portal — we do not quote a “standard HELB figure”.