HELB Clears Five Tuition Batches as Students Await Upkeep Funds

NAIROBI, Kenya, Thursday, October 8, 2026: The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) has confirmed that it has disbursed five batches of tuition funds to universities and colleges. The announcement follows weeks of frustration from students who say their loans have been stuck at the allocation stage.

In a statement, HELB said batches HELB-007139, 007145, 007147, 007146 and 007132 have been processed and paid to institutions. The money covers tuition only and goes straight to schools, not to students.

For many students, the bigger worry is upkeep. Those who have not yet received it are likely to wait longer, as the board is still processing payments. HELB says disbursement has begun and it will contact affected students once funds reach their accounts. It has not given a date.

Frustration online

The delay has drawn sharp complaints on social media. Some students say their universities have already confirmed their enrolment, yet no upkeep has arrived. One applicant said disbursement had been “in process” for about three weeks.

HELB officials have said allocation is complete but that actual payment depends on the timely release of government funds, a problem that has recurred over several academic years.

A schedule built on batches

HELB has not published a calendar with fixed payment dates. Funds are released in phases using batch numbers, so a student’s “Approved with Batch Number” status in the portal effectively shows where they sit in the queue. Third-party estimates suggest four to eight weeks from approval to payment, with tuition usually moving faster than upkeep. That is not an official HELB timeline.

Students whose batch numbers were not among the five paid are advised to keep checking their portals and official HELB communication rather than assume their applications have failed.

What students should do Check your status: Log into the HELB student portal or dial *642#. Wait for the SurePay message: Students receiving upkeep through M-Pesa should wait for the SurePay confirmation message before trying to withdraw. After the second confirmation message, funds can be accessed through *642#. Confirm with your institution: Check that your university has completed its confirmation process. Contact HELB: Call the contact centre on 0711 052 000 or email contactcentre@helb.co.ke. The centre opens from 8:00am to 5:00pm, though this listing dates from February 2026, so confirm it on helb.co.ke. Offices open, but no need to queue

HELB staff and board directors recently joined students, loanees and parents at the HELB offices in Nairobi to mark Customer Service Week 2026, gathering feedback on service delivery. The board has also reminded students that they no longer need to visit its offices to find out where their loans stand, since status can be checked online or by phone.

For now, students are left waiting for the next batch announcement.