The government is planning to change the application process of the Higher Education Loan Board (HELB).
In the latest raft of measures, the government is looking for those who have been left out of the process to guarantee access.
As per the new proposal stated in Higher Education Loan (Amendment) 2021, students without a national identity card will be allowed to apply for the loan. This means students will be able to apply for the loan using the national identity card of their parents. Their parents will be listed as co-signers.
“This will ensure that university students who have not attained the age of eighteen years and who do not yet have national identity cards are allowed access to higher education loans,” the memorandum of the bill said.
Currently, applicants under the age of 18 are barred from exposing them to financial constraints hindering their studies.
As, at the time of tendering the applications, HELB loan applicants are required to provide their National ID number as well as that of their parents on the online portal.
HELB funds the students with loans up to Ksh70,000 which are repaid after the applicants graduate. The loan is expected to meet tuition and personal needs. The new move is a relief to thousands of students who were left out of the application process in the past, forcing them to look for an alternative source of funding for their higher education education.
In September, thousands of students missed out for not having ID cards, prompting the national government to intervene.
*Good News: All students below 18 years of age can now apply for HELB loan using their parent’s ID*
