The proposal to reduce University funding through the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) will lock out thousands of needy students from low-income families from accessing higher education.

The National Treasury has proposed cutting Sh3.7 billion in the budget allocated to HELB in the 2024/2025 financial year. The Treasury wants to allocate Sh33.3 billion to HELB, a 10 percent reduction from the previous allocation.