Disburse HELB Loans, MP Appeals To National Treasury
Gitonga Mukunji, a lawmaker from Manyatta, has asked the National Treasury to release Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) loans to students.
As the new academic year has begun, the majority of university and college students are in severe need of the funds, according to the member of parliament, and the delayed release would have a significant impact on their studies.
Mukunji, who spoke on Tuesday at the enrollment campaign of NG-CDF bursary beneficiaries at Talent Academy in Embu Town, stated that the majority of beneficiaries came from impoverished families and relied on the monies for tuition and maintenance.
He stated that he was a recipient of the fund and was therefore well aware of its vital role in providing impoverished students with an equal opportunity to learn and shape their destiny.
“Were it not for HELB, I won’t be standing here today,” the MP said while calling for reforms barring the board from imposing exorbitant fines to defaulters.
In contrast to the current situation, when borrowers are allowed a one-year grace period after completing their studies to begin repaying, he said that unemployed debtors should be granted a reprieve until they find employment.
“We want HELB beneficiaries who are jobless not to be slapped with the five percent penalty charged every month on the total amount due,” the legislator said.
Moreover, he pledged to ensure transparency in the distribution of the scholarships to ensure that no qualified candidate was overlooked.
Mukunji issued a challenge to the secondary, tertiary, and university students, urging them to put in more effort and get better grades.
“I will try as much as I can to ensure no student gets stuck for lack of school fees,” he said.
Disburse HELB Loans, MP Appeals To National Treasury
