How to Apply for a HELB Loan at a Cyber Café in Kenya

It is possible to apply for a HELB loan at a cyber café. In fact, a good number of the people who make applications for HELB loans do so using cyber café computers. You have two options when it comes to applying for a HELB loan from a cyber café:

1. The first option entails going to a cyber café, telling the cyber café assistants to help you in applying for a HELB loan, and then paying them for that service.
2. The second option entails going to a cyber café, sitting behind one of the computers, and proceeding to fill in the HELB loan application forms by yourself. In this case, you would only have to pay for the time you spent behind the cyber café computer. If you spent 30 minutes filling in the HELB application form, and the cyber café you visited charges 1 shilling per minute, you would end up paying 30 bob for the service.

If you are using the first approach (of going to a cyber café, and telling the cyber café assistants to help you with HELB loan application), follow these 4 simple steps:

1. Identify the cyber from where you would be making your HELB loan application. There are some cyber cafes where the assistants have no clue how to go about filling in HELB application forms. So you may need to do some searching, before you can find one that actually offers this service, at a reasonable cost.
2. Venture into the cyber café and inform the cyber café assistant that you want to make an application for a HELB loan.
3. The cyber café assistant may then request you to furnish them with your Kenyan National ID card.
4. Having gotten your ID card, the cyber café assistant will then go to the HELB Kenya portal, log in and proceed to initiate the HELB loan application for you. Chances are that he will ask you to provide a great deal of information as you go forward. Remember, Kenya HELB loans are means-based, so you have to answer questions about your family income and other details, before you are awarded a loan. After completing the HELB application form for you, the cyber café assistant will request you for payment (for the service rendered). This could be anything from 200 bob to 500 bob or even more, depending on what they charge.

If you are using the second approach (of going to a cyber café, and using the cyber café computer to apply for the HELB loan by yourself), follow these 3 simple steps:

1. Identify the cyber café from which you will be making the HELB application.
2. Venture into the cyber, and sit behind one of the working computers.
3. Go to the HELB Kenya portal, by entering its address (portal.helb.co.ke).
4. Sign into the HELB portal, by entering your email address and password. If it is the first time you are using the portal, go through the ‘user registration’ process first.
5. Then after signing into the HELB portal, click to indicate that you wish to apply for a HELB loan – whether that is first time HELB application or continuing HELB application, as may be the case. Then fill in the required information to complete the application. You would then need to visit the portal later, to see if your application was successful, how much HELB loan you were awarded, and the HELB disbursement dates.