So the state has assisted you raise your college fees for four or more years. There's no way you’re not going to pay that back. Apparently, if you attempt to dodge repaying the loan you will pay, and dearly so.

Currently undergraduate HELB beneficiaries get a minimum of KES 35,000 and a maximum of KES 60,000 depending on the socio-economic status of the student. You need to start servicing your loan/debt as soon as convenience can allow you.  For Masters and Doctoral Studies, students are awarded on average KES 150,000 per year and KES 80,000 (for humanities)and KES 100,000 (for science based subjects) respectively. A nominal fee of KES 2,000 is payable by each applicant.

The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) requires you to start repaying your loan a year after you have completed your studies. Currently those who graduated between 1974/75 and 1994/95 academic years repay their loans at an interest rate of 2% per annum. Those who took loans from 1995/96 academic year to date are repaying their loan with an interest rate of 4% per annum.  For postgraduate and continuing education students the interest rate is 12% compounded annually. So how much are you going to pay back?

Take for instance, *Kevin Mawia used to get KES 45, 000 every academic year for 5 years. His Principal amount therefore is 225,000.

M = P( 1 + i )ⁿ

 M=225,000(1+4)5

M=225,000+3125

Thus, *Kevin Mawia owes the republic KES 228,125

If you have already started repaying your loan, for non-remittance in any given month, you will be fined KES 5,000 in addition to the interest. You will also be fined for failing to start repayment within one year after graduation. HELB's Geoffrey Monari told pesatalk that KES 5,000 is the minimum fine meaning that you could be fined even more.

Therefore if *Kevin Mawia is fined KES 5,000 for a non-remittance of 12 months, that will make it KES 60, 000 on top of the principal amount.

Thus,  KES 288, 125.

In accordance with the current cost sharing policy, a student is required to pay KES 50,000 per year to train at a public university. Out of this amount, HELB can award a maximum loan and bursary of KES 55,000 and KES 8,000 respectively.

Further, note that HELB maintains that loan repayment/penalties, ledger fee cannot be postponed suspended and or halted on condition of further studies, unemployment, and ignorance about repayment among other reasons.