Students who applied for higher education funding before turning 18 have been advised not to create new accounts after receiving their National Identity Cards, following fresh guidance issued by the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB).

The advisory, released this week, explains how applicants who initially registered on the Higher Education Fund (HEF) portal using their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) index numbers can update their records once they obtain a National ID.

The clarification targets thousands of students who completed secondary school before reaching the legal age to acquire a National ID and therefore submitted their funding applications using their KCSE index numbers.

According to HELB, affected students should log into the same HEF account they created during their initial application. Once signed in, a pop-up notification will prompt them to update their National ID information.

Students are required to enter their National ID number together with their first name exactly as it appears on the identification card before selecting the "Validate" option.

After successful verification, the system generates a confirmation message indicating that the National ID has been linked to the student's existing account. Applicants can then click the "Register" tab to complete the process.

HELB stressed that students should not create a new HEF account after obtaining their National IDs, warning that doing so could interfere with their existing records.

Instead, the board said all updates should be made through the original account created using the KCSE index number.

The guidance is intended to ensure student records remain accurate and to allow beneficiaries to continue accessing higher education funding without unnecessary interruptions.

The update comes as Parliament considers the proposed Tertiary Placement and Funding Bill, 2026, which seeks to overhaul Kenya's higher education financing system.

If enacted, the legislation would establish the Tertiary Education Funding Authority (TEFA), bringing together the functions currently performed by HELB, the Universities Fund and the TVET Fund under a single institution responsible for financing students in universities, technical colleges and TVET institutions.

The proposed reforms are aimed at creating a more coordinated funding system while expanding access to higher education and improving the administration of student financial support.

In the meantime, HELB is encouraging all students who registered as minors to update their National ID details through their existing HEF accounts as soon as they receive their identity cards to avoid disruptions in accessing funding services.