Did you know that beneficiaries who have paid more than they owe HELB can apply for a refund from the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB)?
According to HELB, borrowers who overpay their loans will receive the excess amount from the Board, not their employer.
Borrowers seeking a refund are required to fill in the HELB Loan Recovery Enquiry Form and select the option for “Refund due to over deductions.”
“You are required to submit a correctly filled loan inquiry form and confirmation of loan deduction stoppage by your employer through the HELB portal,” HELB states.
The form requires borrowers to provide their personal, education, employment, loan repayment and bank details to facilitate the refund process.
How to Check If You Qualify for a HELB Overpayment Refund
Before applying for a refund, borrowers can check their HELB loan statement to establish whether they have made an overpayment.
Log in to the HELB portal, select Loan Statement, then choose the Loan Overpayment option. This allows borrowers to review their repayment details and establish whether they have an amount eligible for a refund.
Those who qualify can then proceed with the HELB refund application by completing the required Enquiry and Refund Form.
How to Apply for a HELB Overpayment Refund
Borrowers seeking a refund must download and complete the HELB Enquiry Form and indicate that their request relates to a refund arising from over-deductions.
The form requires applicants to provide their current full names, names used at university, National ID number, university registration number, university attended, course or faculty, degree or diploma and period of study.
Applicants must also provide their current address, town, postal code, mobile phone number and email address.
The form also asks borrowers to indicate whether they changed university or college, deferred their studies or repeated any years during their studies.
Employment Details Required
The refund application requires borrowers to provide their employment details.
Applicants must provide their current employer, employment or TSC number, telephone number, employer address, postal code and town.
They are also required to provide their loan repayment history, including the name of the employer who made the deductions, payroll number, monthly instalment and the period covered by the repayments.
The information enables HELB to verify the deductions and establish the amount eligible for a refund.
Bank Details Needed for a HELB Refund
Borrowers applying for a refund must provide their bank details on the form.
These include the bank name, branch, account name and account number.
HELB also requires refund applicants to attach a copy of their ATM card.
The Board states that refunds are paid through electronic funds transfer to banks recognized by the Kenya Bankers Association.
Borrowers can submit the completed physical form at the HELB Anniversary Towers offices in Nairobi or contact HELB through its official customer support channels for guidance.
The HELB Contact Centre can be reached through contactcentre@helb.co.ke or 0711 052 000.
HELB Sets KSh1,000 Minimum for Refunds
Borrowers should also take note of the minimum amount eligible for a refund.
According to the HELB Enquiry Form, overpayments below KSh1,000 will not be refunded.
The form also gives borrowers the option of donating their overpayments to a needy student.
Applicants who choose this option must indicate the amount they wish to donate.
According to HELB, a refund for an overpaid loan should be processed within 60 days from the day the refund request is initiated.
Borrowers should provide the required information and supporting documents when submitting their refund request to avoid processing delays.
Other HELB Requests Covered by the Form
The HELB Enquiry Form is not limited to overpayment refunds.
Borrowers can also use it to request a loan balance or statement, report missing payments, start repaying a loan, or apply for a compliance or clearance certificate.
The form also provides an option for people seeking refunds arising from erroneous deductions where they are not HELB loanees.
Once completed, the form requires the applicant’s signature and date before HELB verifies and approves it.
Borrowers who have had excess amounts deducted from their salaries should first check their HELB loan statement to establish whether they have an overpayment before applying for a refund.
The excess payment is refunded by HELB and not by the employer who made the loan deductions.
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