The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) has opened applications for its 2026/27 Jielimishe Loan, allowing salaried learners to access up to Ksh600,000 to finance further studies.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

The loan targets employed Kenyans pursuing university, postgraduate, professional and other approved higher education programmes while continuing to work.

Successful applicants will benefit from quick loan processing, a competitive interest rate of 10 per cent per year, flexible repayment periods of between 12 and 48 months, and convenient monthly check-off payments through payroll deductions.

The Jielimishe Loan also comes with an affordable credit life insurance policy, providing borrowers with additional financial protection throughout the repayment period.

📌 What You Need to Know

HELB urged eligible applicants to submit their applications through its online platform as it rolled out the financing programme for the 2026/27 academic year.

The latest announcement comes weeks after the board opened applications for first-time undergraduate and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) loans and scholarships for the 2026/27 academic year.

At the time, HELB invited eligible students to apply through its online portal and encouraged them to submit their applications early to avoid delays in processing.

Unlike undergraduate and TVET loans, the Jielimishe Loan is specifically designed for employed learners seeking to upgrade their skills or pursue higher qualifications while remaining in employment.

For borrowers with existing HELB loans, repayments are typically made through employer payroll deductions in line with the board's repayment schedule. Staying up to date with repayments enables borrowers to obtain HELB compliance certificates, while those who fully clear their loans can apply for clearance certificates.

The board has consistently urged borrowers to honour their repayment obligations, noting that repayments help replenish the revolving fund used to finance education for future students.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke