A university student has received a Ksh55,200 upkeep allocation from the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) after raising a complaint over missing funding.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

In a statement issued on Wednesday, August 12, the Commission on Administrative Justice (CAJ) said it intervened after a student at Pwani University lodged a complaint with it over the delayed payment.

The student had applied for HELB funding in August 2025 to cover tuition and upkeep expenses while pursuing her studies.

“She stated that she is a government-sponsored student at Pwani University and that, in August, 2025, she applied for funding from HELB to support her tuition and upkeep at the University. While HELB processed her tuition funding, it did not process her upkeep allocation, prompting her to seek the intervention of the Commission,” the statement read.

📌 What You Need to Know

According to the Office of the Ombudsman, HELB processed her tuition support but did not initially release an upkeep allocation.

The commission took up the matter with the board through an inquiry dated May 11, 2026, seeking an explanation for the delay.

HELB confirmed that the student qualified as a government-sponsored learner but found that she had identified herself as self-sponsored in her original application.

The Ombudsman explained that the error resulted in the student receiving only Ksh90,301.80 in tuition funding at the initial stage.

HELB advised her to update her sponsorship details on the Higher Education Financing (HEF) Student Portal to reflect her correct status.

Subsequently, she made the required changes, allowing the HELB to reassess her funding and then release an additional Ksh55,200 to cover her upkeep.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke