Student leaders under the Universities Student Leaders Association (USLA) on Wednesday held a press briefing at Sarova Panafric, Nairobi, to expose what they termed as the growing crisis and rot in Kenya’s higher education financing system.
The briefing brought together key student leaders, including USLA Secretary General Carel Omwoyo, National Students Council of Kenya representative Mark Ouko, Africa Nazarene University President Alice Mulinge, and Executive Director Albert Maloba, the student leaders called for an urgent national dialogue to address the state’s handling of higher education funding.
Together, they raised urgent concerns about delays, miscommunication, and systemic failure in the distribution of university education loans and scholarships across the country.
Addressing the media, USLA Secretary General Carel Omwoyo delivered a pointed message to government authorities, asking that an immediate multi-stakeholder dialogue be convened under the Ministry of Education to address the Helb-centred crisis that has left thousands of students uncertain about their academic future.
“We are calling for the immediate convening of a multi-stakeholder dialogue session under the Ministry of Education to respond to this Helb-centred crisis. This is not just about delays it is a breakdown in the very architecture meant to support access to higher education for deserving students from vulnerable backgrounds,” said Omwoyo.
The USLA press briefing comes amid growing anxiety from thousands of students, particularly first years, who have been left in the dark after applying for loans through the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) and the Universities Fund (UF).
According to reporting by Nation, a staggering 194,372 students who qualified for university placement in 2025 are still uncertain whether they will receive government funding. Many universities, such as University of Nairobi and Maseno University, are set to open in less than two weeks, yet students have no idea how much financial aid, if any, they will receive.
Students were initially directed to apply for government scholarships and loans after placement by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Services (KUCCPS) but a 2023 shift in policy that delinked placement from funding has created systemic confusion, and the silence from HELB and UF has only deepened the crisis.
The student leaders noted that the current model of categorising students into financial need bands has further complicated access to funding.
Misclassification into higher bands has resulted in reduced support for students who are genuinely in need, pushing them to the brink of deferring their studies.
USLA officials warned that without immediate intervention, thousands of deserving students risk being locked out of university due to administrative inefficiencies and policy failures.
They reiterated their call for the Ministry of Education to take urgent and transparent action to restore trust in the higher education funding system.
