Higher Education Financing (HEF) is a New funding Model introduced by the Higher Education Loans Board for the provision of loans and bursaries to students enrolled in Public and Private TVET Colleges and Universities.
The New Funding Model[NFM] was unveiled on 3rd May 2023 to address the challenges that public universities and TVET colleges were enduring as a result of massive enrolment and inadequate funding.
This funding model is student-centered and loans and bursaries will be apportioned to students based on their assessed level of need. The universities and TVET will no longer receive block funding in the form of capitation. The funding to students shall combine scholarships, loans, and household contributions on a graduated scale as determined by the Means Testing Instrument [MTI]. Students from highly needy and vulnerable backgrounds will pay nothing to colleges and universities.
Higher Education Financing – HEF Application Requirements
Students interested in securing a Higher Education Financing (HEF) loan must possess the following requirements;
- A valid email address
- Valid telephone number (must be registered in your name to apply for a loan)
- KCPE and KCSE index numbers and year of examination
- Passport size photo
- Copy of your National ID (for loan application)
- College/University admission letter
- Your parents’ registered telephone number
- Your parents’ national ID number
- Death certificate if any of your parents are deceased.
- Your birth certificate.
- Two guarantors’ (Can be your parents) ID numbers and registered telephone numbers (for loan application)
- Copy of the sponsorship letter if you were sponsored in Secondary school.
Higher Education Financing Eligibility
The following students are eligible to apply for the Higher Education Financing – HEF Loan and scholarship;
- Undergraduate Students placed by KUCCPS in Public Universities
- TVET students placed by KUCCPS in 2022 in Public TVET Colleges
HEF Portal Registration Process
You are required first to create an account with these guidelines in order to log into the HEF portal and apply for Higher Education Financing loans and scholarships;
- Visit the HEF Portal via www.portal.hef.co.ke
- Click on the Register button
- Fill out the form with the following details
- Kenya ID
- KCSE Year
- KCSE Index Number
- KUCCPS Program Code
- Click on the Validate button
- Wait for the system to validate your entries
- Congratulations, An account activation link will be sent to your email
- Log into your email and click the activation link to activate your HEF account.
Note: Students who did not receive their HEF activation email in their inbox should check their spam folder for the activation link.
Higher Education Financing – HEF Portal Login
Follow these steps to log into your HEF portal account;
- Visit the HEF Portal via www.portal.hef.co.ke
- Enter your username and password used to create your account
- Wait for the system to authenticate and redirect you to the dashboard
Higher Education Financing Activation Link
Send an email with your ID, email address, and phone number to [email protected]
If you didn’t receive an activation link for the Higher Education Financing (HEF) loans and scholarships account. The email should be the exact email used when creating your HEF account.
Higher Education Financing Contact
Phone: +254 207903331 / +254 746737935
Email:
Website: ufb.go.ke
HEF Portal Login: Apply for HEF Scholarships and Loans via New Higher Education Financing Portal Kenya www.hef.co.ke
ByNash Thuo Updated on August 30, 2023
Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu launched the Higher Education Financing portal in 2023.
It will allow students to apply for loans and bursaries via the HEF Portal.
Access the New Higher Education Financing – HEF Portal Login Page
Here is the login page for the new HEF portal.
HEF Activation Link
Next, the user will receive their HEF activation email in their inbox.
Mine was sent to my email inbox as per the screenshot above. Users who didn’t receive the link to activate in their inbox should check their spam folder for the activation link.
The email is meant to appear in your primary inbox. Therefore, click on “Looks safe” to avoid future HEF emails being marked as spam.
For first-time HEF login, you will be asked for a valid mobile phone number.
The HEF student portal will then send a verification code to the number.
Enter the code to complete the HEF application process.
HEF Loan Application Requirements
Here are the requirements for Kenyans to apply for government-sponsored loans and bursaries via the HEF portal:
- Passport size photo
- Valid email address
- Copy of your National ID
- Parents’ National ID number
- Parents’ registered mobile number
- Death certificate (if a parent is deceased)
- Copy of the sponsorship letter (if applicable)
- College or University admission letter
- Your birth certificate
- Mobile number registered in your name
- KCPE index number and year of examination
- KCSE index number and year of examination
- Two Guarantors’ ID numbers and registered mobile numbers (can be your parents)
- Step-by-step guidance
- Latest data including rates
- Free compounding report!
New Funding Model (NFM) for scholarship and loans
The President of Kenya launched the New Funding Model (NFM) on 3rd May 2023.
NFM aims to ensure university and TVET students categorised as vulnerable access adequate education.
The New Funding Model portal for Higher Education Financing will provide government scholarships and loans, prioritizing vulnerable and extremely needy students.
Key Players
Here are the key players in the New Funding Model in Kenya:
- Parents
- General public
- Universities Fund Kenya
- Higher Learning Institutions
- Higher Education Loans Board (HELB)
- State Department for Vocational and Technical Training
- Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS)
Criteria
Financial support to students enrolled in universities and TVET institutions will be based on their level of need, assessed via the Means Testing Instrument (MTI), and categorised as follows:
- Vulnerable and extremely needy – 100% of Government funding and receive upkeep from the loan.
- Needy and less needy will get 93 % of Government funding
- Students in private universities are not eligible
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HEF Application – Eligibility for new and continuing students
Continuing students will not be affected by the New Funding Model (NFM).
They will continue to receive their funding based on the existing model. That is, apply for loans through HELB.
Eligible Kenyan students under the New Funding Model include:
- TVET students placed by KUCCPS in 2022, 2023, and beyond in Public TVET Colleges
- Undergraduate Students placed by KUCCPS in 2022, 2023, and beyond in Public Universities
- List of all the courses offered
- The exact process to register and access the Open University of Kenya
Tags: Hef go ke Https hef co ke HEF application HELB portal Higher education financing portal login
How to Apply for HEF Loans and Government Scholarships?
Here are the exact steps to apply for the HEF loan and scholarship in Kenya:
- Go to www.hef.co.ke portal.
- Click on the PORTALS button.
- Click on User Registration, then Applicant Registration buttons.
- State whether you have an ID number or not.
- Based on the 4 above, fill in the required details until the “Validate” button becomes active.
- Enter your valid email address and password and then click on the Register button.
- Activate your HEF account via the link sent to your email address.
- Login to the HEF portal and apply for the loan, scholarship or bursary.
- HIGHER EDUCATION FINANCING PORTAL | Fostering Equity in Access to Education.
Register if you do not have a login account
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Key Players in the New Funding Model
- Higher Education Loans Board: For Provision of Loans and Bursaries to students enrolled in TVET Colleges and Universities [Public and Private]
- Universities Fund: Provision of Undergraduate Scholarships to Government Sponsored Students enrolled in Public Universities
- Kenya Universities and Colleges Placement Service: For placement of Students in their desired and qualified courses upon application
- State Department of Technical Education: Provision of TVET scholarships
- Higher Learning Institutions-The recipients of loans and scholarships awarded to students in the form of fees
- Parents: To support the household’s contributions.
- General Public
Reasons for the NFM (Why NFM)
- Address myriad facing challenges facing universities.
- Ensures that eligible Kenyan students are provided with adequate education and financial support
- The Vulnerable and Extremely needy students are assured of affordable education because they pay nothing.
- Promotes equity and access to higher education; every applicant gets something depending on their level of need and degree of vulnerability.
- Students are now required to apply for scholarships as opposed to uniform awards even for affluent households.
- Has implemented fee payment as the actual cost of the program. Saves the universities from financial constraints
Eligibility
- Undergraduate Students placed by KUCCPS in Public Universities
- TVET students placed by KUCCPS in Public TVET Colleges
Requirements for application (UG & TVET)
- A valid email address for the applicant (Student)
- Valid telephone number (must be registered in your name to apply for a loan)
- KCPE and KCSE index numbers and year of examination
- Passport size photo
- Copy of your National ID (for loan application)
- College/University admission letter
- Your parents’ registered telephone number
- Your parents’ national ID number
- Death certificate if any of your parent is deceased.
- Your birth certificate.
- Two guarantors’ (Can be your parents) ID numbers and registered telephone numbers (for loan application)
- Copy of the sponsorship letter if you were sponsored in Secondary school.
Download the application procedure.