The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) has addressed concerns from students facing difficulties activating their accounts on the Higher Education Financing (HEF) Portal.
In a statement released on August 5, HELB explained that activation emails are sent automatically once a student completes registration using their personal email. The board urged applicants to check their spam or junk folders if the activation email is not found in the inbox.
Key points from HELB's guidance include:
- The activation link in the email is valid for only three hours from issuance.
- Students who miss this window must re-register on the HEF Portal to receive a new activation email.
- Applicants are encouraged to promptly complete the verification process upon receiving the activation email to prevent access delays.
HELB also highlighted the importance of engaging only with its official social media accounts and communication channels due to the emergence of fraudulent pages attempting to exploit the application period. Students were cautioned against sharing personal information publicly and advised to use HELB's verified direct messaging platforms for sensitive submissions.
The clarification comes as the application window remains open for first-time undergraduate and TVET loan and scholarship applicants for the 2026/2027 academic year, ahead of the September intake.
