What to Do If Your HELB Account Details Are Wrong

The Higher Education Loan Board (HELB) encourages both students and graduates to properly reconcile any discrepancies in their HELB account so that students can avoid delays in being able to get loans processed, scholarships, or funds distributed.

Discrepancies may cause major issues related to disbursement including but not limited to incorrect bank account numbers, cell phone number, institutions, courses taken, full name, and ID number.

HELB has published various procedures that can be used to resolve errors based on the type of error being fixed.

As a State agency under the Ministry of Education, HELB permits the online submission of some corrections through the HELB Portal and HELB Mobile App while it requires official change request forms and documentation to be submitted for other types of changes.

Changing Institution and Course Information

If the student has changed their university, college, or academic program, they can now update their institution, and course details in the HELB App or HELB Portal.

To update the Institution and course details via the HELB App, log in and go to My Account section, click on Institution then click Edit.

Enter the new Institution or Course details in the fields and click Save.

To update these details via the HELB Portal, beneficiaries can go to the profile section of their HELB portal accounts and update their education background information to show the institution and course that they are currently studying.

HELB has continually cautioned the student to review all information prior to saving any changes, as an incorrectly entered record could delay the processing of their loan and future disbursements.

Also Read: Why Some Students Receive Less HELB Money Than Others

Linking National ID Details to HELB Accounts

The loans board has also provided guidance to students who initially created HELB accounts using their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) index numbers before obtaining national identity cards.

According to HELB, such students should not create new accounts after receiving their National IDs.

Instead, they are required to log into their existing accounts and update their personal information through the “Update Personal Details” section.

“Do not create a new account. Simply update the one you opened using your index number with your national ID details,” HELB stated in a previous advisory.

The agency further notes that students who mistakenly create duplicate accounts may need assistance through Huduma Centres to resolve the issue and ensure that only one active profile remains linked to their records.

Also Read: How HELB Sends Money to University and TVET Students in Kenya (Bank and M-Pesa)  

Changes to Phone Numbers and Bank Account Details

Changes related to phone number and bank account number are among the most problematic types of changes.

Incorrect payment information may lead to funds being paid to the incorrect location or delays in obtaining loans or scholarships.

Beneficiaries are required to download and fill out a change request form for their phone and bank details from the HELB website.

The form requires the beneficiary’s full name, national identifier number, institution, admission number; current phone; and current email address.

In addition, they must also include documentation, such as a national ID and a bank card, with their application then scanned and emailed to HELB for processing.

“We encourage you to maintain your registered mobile number throughout your study period for smooth transactions,” HELB noted in a past advisory.

Follow our WhatsApp channel for instant news updates

Members of the public inquiring about various HELB services at the Higher Education Loans Board offices. PHOTO/File