What to Do if ‘Sim Card Changed’ on HELB

The ‘Sorry, your SIM card has been changed’ error can be frustrating for students receiving upkeep or tuition loans from the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB). This issue can affect any student – whether in their first, second, third, or final year at university – and may arise for various reasons.

According to HELB, this error typically occurs in two situations:

1. When a SIM swap or replacement is done, transferring the active phone number to a new SIM card after the original one was lost or damaged.
2. When phone number details are manually updated on the HELB student portal without formal approval.

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The Higher Education Loans Board states that this issue is similar to what happens when a student changes their device after logging in and accessing the HELB app. Both issues can be resolved in two ways.

“If you changed the phone number you registered on the HELB app or did a SIM swap, make sure to contact us to update this in the system,” HELB advises as the first solution. You can contact HELB by calling their customer care number at +254 711 052 000, emailing them via contactcentre@helb.co.ke, sending a text describing your problem on their official social media pages, such as @HELBpage on X (formerly Twitter), or visiting them at their Anniversary Towers headquarters in Nairobi.

The second solution for resolving the SIM card or device change error on HELB channels is by downloading the Student’s Personal Bank and Phone Details Change Request Form, filling it out with the required details, and submitting it at one of their help desks located in Huduma Centres across the country.

HELB emphasises that all their services are free and warns students and all beneficiaries against falling prey to scammers who purport to offer HELB services for a fee.

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