Higher Education Finance Fund

The Higher Education Finance Fund (“HEFF”) is a USD 28m debt fund providing loans and technical assistance to microfinance institutions (MFIs) offering higher education finance loans to young adults from low-income families. HEFF aims to increase access to higher education for highly demanded careers, contributing in a meaningful way to poverty reduction and socio-economic development in its target countries of Guatemala, Honduras, Bolivia, Peru, Paraguay, and the Dominican Republic. Combining best practices from higher education financing and microfinance, HEFF will also have an important demonstration effect as the first private higher education financing fund in its target countries. HEFF’s lending activities are complemented by a parallel Technical Assistance Facility which will support MFIs in adapting higher education lending methods and provide specialized training to their staff and borrowers. SIFEM committed USD 3m (of which USD 2m equity and USD 1m debt) to the fund.

HEFF is managed by Omtrix, Inc., who has been working with and investing in MFIs in Latin America since 1995, becoming one of the most seasoned teams in the region. Having worked with Omtrix in the past, Obviam maintains a close relationship with the fund manager who has been recognized for its hands-on investment approach, value-add and dissemination of best practices in the MFI industry in Latin America.