The Higher Education Loans Board (Helb) has
announced that it will phase out internship loans
to undergraduate students within two years.
Chief executive Charles Ringera said the
internship aid that ranges between Sh6,000 and
Sh12,000 is being scaled down and would be
phased out in two years.
The students’ loan agency has asked students to
seek the support of National Industrial Training
Authority, which is mandated to support
industrial attachments.
Helb has been offering internship loans to meet
students’ needs like accommodation during their
internship that comes either in the middle or end
of course work.
“We have asked the universities to advise their
students that the practicum component has been
discontinued,” he said.
The loans agency has been struggling to meet
the needs of growing number of university
students, forcing some to do without Helb’s
assistance.
Most of the students come from poor
backgrounds and require financial aid to meet
their tuition fees and upkeep.
Mr Ringera said the scaling down of attachment
loans was due to, among others things, the need
to promote equity and fairness.
“Currently the students eligible for practicum or
attachment loans are only the ones taking the
traditional science and technology-based
programmes like engineering, medicine, dental,
pharmacy and nursing thus locking out other
programmes which also incorporate field and
teaching practice within their education
programmes. This has led to inequity and
unfairness,” he said.
Mr Ringera added that the growing number of
universities and programmes requiring field
practice support has put a serious dent on Helb’s
ability to continue funding them hence the
reason to discontinue.
He also said it is not sustainable in the long run
as the internship support will affect the student
loans budget which is already strained.
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