HELB Scraps Off Clearance Certificate Charges for Non-Beneficiaries

The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) has announced non-beneficiaries will get clearance certificates for free effective July 15th.

The student loans agency in a statement on Thursday said they have waived the initially mandatory Sh1,000 charged on those seeking a compliance certificate. 

“…It has repeatedly come to our attention that the charges for non-loanee compliance certificate are perceived to be punitive, especially to the many unemployed youths who did not benefit from the student loans,” the statement read in part.

“Given the foregoing issues raised by Kenyans, HELB has stopped charging Ksh1,000 for issuance of the Compliance Certificate with effect from 15th July 2020.” 

The certificates can now be accessed through the HELB website: www.helb.co.ke and the eCitizen portal as well.

The Senate last year filed a petition to scrap off burdensome compliance certificate fees charged on job seekers by various agencies including HELB, KRA, and CRB. 

“When you put all these charges together, a job seeker needs about Sh6,000 to apply for a job that is not even guaranteed,” Nairobi Senator Johson Sakaja, who filed the petition, said.

Most organizations demand compliance certificates from job seekers to confirm their financial plan before hiring them.