Students enrolling in the Advocates Training Programme (ATP) at the Kenya School of Law (KSL) for the 2025/2026 academic year will not receive financial aid through HELB loans.
The ATP, scheduled to commence on February 10, 2025, had its application process open in August 2024, with submissions closing on October 31, 2024.
In 2021, KSL introduced a Legal Education Fund to support ATP students with tuition fees, managed by the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB). However, KSL Director Henry Mutai announced on January 14, 2025, that financial assistance would not be available for the upcoming academic year due to government budgetary constraints.
Director Mutai explained that the school could not allocate funds to replenish the Legal Education Fund this financial year, leaving the institution unable to provide tuition loans for the new cohort of ATP students.
“Due to the ongoing budgetary constraints facing the government, the school could not allocate resources to replenish the Fund this financial year,” read the notice from the KSL Director.
“Consequently, we regret to inform incoming ATP students for the 2025/2026 academic year that the school will not be able to provide any tuition loans,” the statement added.
Mutai further indicated that funding for ATP students may only resume in 2026, pending improvements in budget allocations.
The announcement came just a day after HELB reopened its loan portal for students pursuing courses under the Kenya Accountants and Secretaries National Examinations Board (KASNEB).
In its statement on January 13, HELB confirmed that loans and bursaries for KASNEB students would cover fees for registration, exams, renewals, exemptions, and tuition at KASNEB-accredited institutions.
Both current and new students pursuing KASNEB qualifications are eligible for this financial support.
