Calculate your monthly HELB loan repayment by loan type — Undergraduate/TVET/KMTC, Jielimishe, or the Civil Servants Training Revolving Fund (STRF) — including interest, the annual ledger fee, and total repayment.
HELB (the Higher Education Loans Board) prices its three loan products differently: Undergraduate/TVET/KMTC loans and the Civil Servants Training Revolving Fund (STRF) both charge 4% per annum, while Jielimishe loans for salaried postgraduate students charge 10% — all on a reducing balance, plus a KES 1,000 annual ledger fee. This calculator takes your loan type, outstanding balance, and repayment term, and works out your monthly repayment, total interest, ledger fees, and total repayment.
What Interest Rate Does Each HELB Loan Type Charge?
Undergraduate, TVET, and KMTC loans charge 4% per annum on a reducing balance. Jielimishe loans for salaried students charge 10% per annum. The Civil Servants Training Revolving Fund (STRF) charges 4% per annum — all three also carry a KES 1,000 annual ledger fee.
How Do I Use the HELB Loan Calculator?
Select your loan type — Undergraduate/TVET/KMTC, Jielimishe, or STRF — to load the correct interest rate and grace-period details. Enter your outstanding loan balance and a repayment term in months, and the calculator applies the standard reducing-balance formula to show your monthly instalment, total interest, ledger fees over the term, and total repayment.
When Does HELB Repayment Start After Graduation?
Undergraduate, TVET, and KMTC loans have a 1-year grace period after completing studies before repayment begins, though interest keeps accruing at 4% throughout that year. Jielimishe and STRF loans have no grace period — repayment starts 1 month after disbursement, deducted directly from salary or payroll.
What Happens If I Miss a HELB Loan Payment?
Undergraduate, TVET, and KMTC loanees are charged a statutory penalty of KES 500 per month for each missed or late instalment once the grace period expires. Jielimishe and STRF loans apply standard monthly account penalties when an employer fails to remit a payment on time.
What Happens If I Default on My HELB Loan?
Defaulting on a HELB loan triggers accumulating monthly penalties, CRB blacklisting that blocks access to commercial bank credit, and withholding of the HELB Clearance Certificate often required for public sector employment. Jielimishe loans additionally carry the risk of full loan acceleration and direct legal recovery action against the salaried borrower.
Can My Employer Be Penalized for Not Remitting My HELB Deduction?
Yes. An employer who fails to deduct or delays remitting a loanee's monthly payment faces a 5% monthly penalty on the unremitted amount, and continued non-compliance can lead to summary civil debt recovery court action or statutory fines of up to KES 1,000,000.
Verify with HELB: This calculator applies the interest rates, KES 1,000 annual ledger fee, grace periods, and penalties published for each HELB loan type. Confirm your exact figures against your HELB portal statement or the board's official terms and conditions before relying on it for financial planning.
What interest rate does HELB charge?
Undergraduate, TVET, and KMTC loans charge 4% per annum on a reducing balance. Jielimishe loans for salaried students charge 10% per annum. The Civil Servants Training Revolving Fund (STRF) charges 4% per annum — all three also carry a KES 1,000 annual ledger fee.
When does HELB loan repayment start?
Undergraduate, TVET, and KMTC loans have a 1-year grace period after completing studies before repayment begins, though interest keeps accruing at 4% throughout that year. Jielimishe and STRF loans have no grace period — repayment starts 1 month after disbursement.
What penalty applies for a late HELB payment?
Undergraduate, TVET, and KMTC loanees are charged a statutory KES 500 per month penalty for each missed or late instalment once the grace period expires. Jielimishe and STRF loans apply standard monthly account penalties when an employer fails to remit a payment on time.
What happens if I default on my HELB loan?
Defaulting triggers accumulating monthly penalties, CRB blacklisting that blocks access to commercial bank credit, and withholding of the HELB Clearance Certificate often required for public sector employment. Jielimishe loans additionally risk full loan acceleration and direct legal recovery action.
Can my employer be penalized for not remitting my HELB deduction?
Yes — an employer who fails to deduct or delays remitting a loanee's monthly payment faces a 5% monthly penalty on the unremitted amount, and continued non-compliance can lead to summary civil debt recovery court action or statutory fines of up to KES 1,000,000.