Overtime, the Higher Education Loans Board has realized that most of the loan beneficiaries do not know the purpose of the loan. Most of them, if given the loan, use it for purposes other than the ones intended for it.  For instance, some learners believe that that money is meant for fun and Partying. Imagine you have just completed high school and someone gives you Kshs.  25000. Most people will compensate for all the parties they have missed in their lives. Alcohol addicts will compensate for all the bottles of liquor they missed before joining college. Lover boys will compensate for all the ladies they have always wished to possess but poverty has never chanced them. There is yet another group of first years who will start using the money to solve the financial difficulties back in the village. Still, some students will opt for the ‘most expensive’ mobile phones, ampex / sayona sub woofers or some heavy desk top computers.

What majority of first years fail to realize is that the ‘L’ in HELB means loan and any loan taken must be repaid with interest within the agreed time. Is it wise to take a loan and drink the whole of it?… or to engage it in an activity that is not profit bearing?

Through its commitment, HELB has devised a financial literacy tool to guide students concerning what they should and what they should not do with their loans. Through these questions, applicants also commit themselves to repaying the loan and get to know the reasons why the loans should be repaid.

To prepare your self, click Financial literacy quizzes                      and learn more.

Requirements For Those Applying For the First Time

• Photocopy of your identity Card
• Photocopy of your birth certificate.
• Photocopies if identity cards of your parents or their valid death certificates if they had passed on.
• Photocopies of the identity cards of your guarantors
• Photocopy of your letter of admission to the university or preferred college.
• Photocopy of your Kenya certificate of secondary education or just a result slip
• Functional account number.
• Photocopy of your bank plate or ATM card.
• A coloured passport sized photograph

If you have all those required materials, you can apply HELB  very easily using your computer or mobile phone.

Procedure

Step 1

Open the browser in your phone or laptop. If you are using a mobile phone, chrome is the best browser for you since it can open virtually any window in the portal

Step 2

On the search area of your browser, type https://portal.helb.co.ke/auth/signin  and search. If you are ready to do it now, just click on the link and proceed. For those who do not have HELB accounts, you can create one by using the procedure here . you can also reach this portal once you are on the HELB website.

Step 3

Enter your email address and your password then log in. On your HELB account, there are several HELB loan products. Select the relevant one you are applying for. If you are going for a degree course for instance, select first time undergraduate loan application.

You may be asked several financial and commitment questions, which you must answer before proceeding.you can read the HELB  financial literacy questions here

Step 4

Once you are through, you can begin your HELB application process. You will fill in your personal data and save them. You will then proceed to your education details from primary to secondary (name of the institution, location and marks/grades obtained). Thereafter, you will enter your university details (name, course, course duration and registration number).

The next tab will be about details of your parents (names, identity numbers, KRA Pins, and contacts). If one or both parents had passed on, you will have to indicate and prove with photocopies of death certificates.

You will then give an estimate of your family budget in the next tab, followed by details of your siblings. The next tab is about details of your guarantors. You need 2 guarantors who have national identity cards, pin numbers and employment details.

In the next tab, you will fill your Bank details. Ensure that all the details are filled correctly and truly, each time saving before proceeding to the next tab. You will then submit your details and print 2 copies of your form.

Step 5

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Sign both forms and take them to the guarantors, chief and priest/kadhi for signing. The magistrate should be the last person to sign your form and remember here you may part with some little fee.

Step 6

Keep one copy of the form. On the other form, attach all the required documents as indicated in the very last page of the form. Submit this form to your nearest Huduma Centre or to the HELB offices at anniversary towers, Nairobi.

These days, loan application is not a preserve of the students sponsored by the government in the universities but rather any learner who is in any middle level institution. Learners in or yet to join polytechnics, technical training colleges, teacher training colleges, medical training colleges, vocational training colleges and kenyan public/private universities are all encouraged to apply.

Registering for a HELB account is one of the easiest things a student should not panic about. All you need is smart phone or a computer with a reliable internet connection, national identity card and a functional E-mail address. If you do not have an E-mail address, you can grab one by clicking the link https://login.yahoo.com/account/create?src=noSrc&specId=yidReg

Step 1

Open a browser in your phone or computer. If you are using a mobile phone, you should use chrome for the best experience.

Step 2

On the search area of your browser, type     https://portal.helb.co.ke/auth/register/applicants and search. If  you are on this article you can just click  the link and proceed.

step 3

A window appears that prompts you to fill your identity card number and the very first name in your identity card number. Fill the fields appropriately, then validate.

Step 4

A window appears with your ID details already filled but there are unfilled fields for mobile phone number, E-mail address and password. Phone number and E-mail address must be functional. The password you choose must be something you can easily recall.

Fill the unfilled areas appropriately and click ‘sign up’. A window appears that congratulates you for successful account creation.

Step 5

Open your email to confirm the activation link that has been sent by the higher education loans board. Once you have opened that E-mail by HELB, click ‘click here’ on that message. You will be taken to your log in area.

See also: How to Apply for First time undergraduate HELB loan in 2020 and get Maximum Award

Step 6

Fill in your valid E-mail address and right password in the fields provided and log in. You will receive a code through an SMS in your mobile phone. Enter the code on the required field and click ‘proceed’ to verify your account.

A new window appears with various HELB products. That means you account is ready and if you are ready too, you can start applying for that coveted loan.