First-year students who have reported for their second semester to public universities should brace themselves for a life of frugality after the Higher Education Loans Board (Helb) .

Helb announced to have finally released money for 47,000 first year university students but up to now most of them have not received the actual cash in there banks 

 For the third year in a row, Helb is delaying cash to newly students. Chief executive Charles Ringera said the loan application and disbursement cycle was “mutually agreed upon” by the agency, the deans of public universities and the central admissions body.

However, 9,000 who qualified for the loans have not received the cash as some presented incomplete forms despite meeting all the requirements including the smart card .

“We have asked them to complete filling in the forms. They are in need of the money but some forms have not been filled in by guarantors, while other applicants did not submit copies of identity cards and smart cards,” said Helb Chief Executive Officer Charles Ringera. 

The students who reported to their respective universities in September last year, were supposed to have received the cash by November.

Helb has said it will open the second and subsequent loan applications for first-time applicants by 18 Feb 2019 and, thereafter, take at least three weeks to process their requests. "Thereafter, we take about three weeks to process,” Mr Ringera told the Panelists.

 It is estimated that eight of every 10 university students admitted under what is popularly is known as “KUCCPS” apply for financial aid from Helb. 

Public universities have already put out stern notices directing students to pay 60 % of fees or in full before registering for courses, attending lectures or taking up hostel rooms; further compounding the matter for bright but needy students who depend entirely on Helb for their schooling. 

“No student will be allowed to attend classes before paying 60% requisite fees in the first two weeks ,students who would not have complied within the specific period of time the system automatically will defer them due starting January 2019” Maasai Mara University said in a notice to first-year students.