Student leaders say they want the bill amended to give students more money
University students could receive a maximum of Sh100,000 and a minimum of Sh50,000 from HELB if amendments proposed by student leaders go through, Capital Campus has learned.
A six-member committee, representing both public and private universities, student leaders want the National Assembly to amend the bill to put into account the economic changes the country has undergone since the establishment of the HELB Act in 1995.
The committee is chaired by Felix Lone, former KUSA President while Moi University’s Justin Safari serves as the secretary.
In their submissions, students argue that the money they receive is too little against the current needs. They are also proposing a 2 percent interest rate on the loan instead of 4 percent that the leading financier of higher education currently charges.
Safari says they also want HELB to start penalizing loan beneficiaries after two years and not the current twelve months.
“We want HELB to give graduates ample time to hustle before they start paying the loan,” he told Capital Campus.
If these proposals go through, he added, total orphans would receive full amount of Sh100,000 and the minimum a student would receive is Sh50,000.
