University Students to Receive HELB Loans Through M-PESA

Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) beneficiaries will soon be able to get their loans via M-Pesa.

This comes after the board and Safaricom teamed up to launch the HELB mobile wallet and HELB M-Pesa mini app.

“Through this partnership, we will build and deliver mobile and digital solutions that will further empower all beneficiaries with more convenience by enabling them to easily access and manage HELB funds and services on their mobile phones,” Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa said.

Beneficiaries will be able to access their HELB upkeep, withdraw money, repay loans, request for new loans, view their loan status, and access their statements all from an Android or iPhone app thanks to the mini app.

“This partnership with Safaricom will empower beneficiaries with even more convenience and greatly enhance the experience when accessing funds and our services. All HELB beneficiaries can now access all our services through the HELB Mini App or by dialing *642# where they can apply for subsequent loans, access their HELB upkeep funds, withdraw funds, view their loan status, access their statements, and repay loans, all from feature phones, an Android and iPhone app,” said Charles Ringera, CEO – HELB.

According to a statement made by Safaricom on Thursday, April 27, 2023, the rollout will begin with first-year students who will be submitting their first loan application.

Following that, existing HELB beneficiaries in their second and subsequent years of study will be given the option gradually.

How to Access the HELB Mini Application

The HELB Mini App is available to all M-PESA customers under the "Services" section of the M-PESA Super App.

Beneficiaries who have already registered their mobile phone numbers with HELB will enter their phone number, and they will receive a code to activate the Mini App and set a PIN for future access.

Beneficiaries who have not yet registered their mobile number with HELB have to enter a phone number that is associated with the same National ID as their HELB account to link their numbers and activate the Mini App.