Kenya's Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) is facing a funding shortfall of 13.7 billion Kenyan shillings for the financial year ending June 2025. This deficit has resulted in 163,488 eligible students in public universities and technical and vocational education training (TVET) colleges missing out on government loans. HELB received 713,173 loan applications but was only able to fund 322,338, despite recovering 5.21 billion shillings, marking an 11% year-on-year improvement in recoveries. The agency is seeking access to Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) data to trace loan defaulters amid growing defaults and enrollment pressures. HELB Chairperson Ekwee Ethuro emphasized that the board is not broke and highlighted that the Treasury remains the main funder, underscoring the government's commitment to the right to education. Ethuro also noted that many Kenyans, including nurses, are willing to repay their loans to support others, countering media reports of a high default rate. However, the demand for loans continues to outpace available resources.