Masters / PhD Degrees

Fully Funded Scholarships for Kenyan Students

2025 / 2026 Scholarships in Kenya

HELB is awarding scholarships to local Kenyan students. These grants are for Masters and PhD students who desire to study at HELB-affiliated universities. These scholarships are intended to provide chances for highly outstanding Kenyan students to pursue higher education.
Kenyans pursuing postgraduate degrees (Master’s or PhD) at public or private universities in their home country that have been accredited by the Commission for University Education [CUE] are eligible for partial HELB scholarships. In July 1995, Parliament passed the “Higher Education Loans Board Act” (Cap 213A), which established the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) as a governmental organization. It is a Ministry of Education state corporation. The Republic of Kenya is where the Board is headquartered and conducts business. The Chief Executive Officer and the Board Secretary are in charge of the organizations overall strategy and policy, while the Board of Directors oversees it.

Field of Study / Subjects

Applicants can choose any field for their Masters and PhD courses, which are offered at several universities through this program.
Other recent Scholarships in Kenya are also available for other degrees and courses around Kenya.

Number of Scholarships

This program offers numerous awards.

Duration of Scholarship

Masters degrees take two years, and PhD degrees take three years.

Scholarship Description / Details

This scholarship provides various scholarships to beneficiaries of this program, which are as follows.

  • The grant will cover students’ basic expenses.
  • The scholarship winners will get a basic stipend to cover their expenses.
  • The stipend for Masters Degree students is 200,000 KSHs, while PhD students will receive 4,50,000 KSHs.

Eligibility Criteria 

To be eligible for this program, applicants must have

  • Undergraduate studies require a minimum of second class upper division (Honors).
  • Admission to a CHE-accredited university, whether public or private.
  • Reporting for the first year of study.
  • Masters applicants must be 30 years or younger, while PhD candidates must be 40 years or younger.
  • Admission letter for a postgraduate program, either full-time or part-time.
  • Candidates enrolled in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics, innovation, and fisheries) programs and those whose courses directly support the “Big Four Agenda” will be given preference.
  • The applicant MUST be making loan payments or have paid off the loan if they are a current or former HELB loan beneficiary.

Note:

  • The Scholarship Award takes gender and geographical distribution into consideration.
  • We strongly welcome applications from underserved areas.
  • To apply, applicants must pay a non-refundable application fee of Kshs. 3,000 through MPESA after selecting the payment button on the portal.  
  • Don’t pay someone to handle your application for a postgraduate scholarship.

How to Apply / Download Scholarship Form / Documents Required

  • The HELB Postgraduate Scholarship application form can be accessed through the Student Portal  after registration.
  • Download and print the Postgraduate Scholarship Application Form (PGSAF) at helb.co.ke.
  • Make two copies of the PGSAF.
  • Ensure the form is correctly filled and stamped by relevant authorities, and attach all required documents as indicated on the PGSAF checklist.
  • Submit one completed, signed, and stamped copy of the PGSAF along with official transcripts and certifications to our office.
  • Scan the completed PGSA as a single PDF document with all of the attachments.
  • The PDF scan should be sent to pgscholarship@helb.co.ke.
  • Keep one copy of the completed PGSAF.

Contact us:

  • Anniversary Towers, 19th Floor
  • P.O Box 69489-00400
  • Nairobi, Kenya
  • Tel: + 254 0711052000
  • Email: contactcentre@helb.co.ke

Last Date to Apply / Deadline: 

31 August (annual)

Official Website: 

Visit official website