Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) Chief Executive Officer, Geoffrey Monari, has said many students are not getting their funds on time due to incorrect account details.
Speaking before the National Assembly Education Committee on Thursday morning, Monari said some students, especially those receiving funds via mobile money, often provide incorrect phone numbers.
Issues Affecting Disbursement
Monari said students sometimes change their registered mobile numbers between the application and disbursement stages, leading to payment reversals.
“When they apply, they use one number, but by the time we disburse the funds, they have changed it. As a result, up to 40% of payments are returned to HELB and we have to reroute them once the students provide correct details,” Monari told the committee.
To mitigate this, HELB sends SMS notifications to beneficiaries before disbursement. Monari assured the committee that a robust system is in place to communicate with students.
Latest HELB Disbursements
This came a day after HELB disbursed Ksh1.56 billion for tuition and upkeep. According to Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba, the disbursement benefited 33,863 university students.
For the 2024/2025 Financial Year, HELB has so far disbursed Ksh32.7 billion to 390,612 university students.
“This funding will enable students and trainees to continue with their studies without financial hurdles,” CS Ogamba said on March 18.
What HELB is doing
To reduce disbursement failures, HELB advises students to:
- Ensure mobile numbers and bank details are consistent.
- Update any changes through official HELB channels.
- Respond to SMS notifications regarding loan disbursements.
HELB is also working on digital verification systems to prevent payment delays due to incorrect details.