8-K

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            Washington, D.C.  20549

                          --------------------------

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934



                        Date of Report:  April 18, 2001
                                         --------------
                       (Date of earliest event reported)



                             HELLER FINANCIAL, INC.
                             ----------------------
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)



                                    Delaware
                                    --------
                 (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)



                  1-6157                                 36-1208070
                  ------                                 ----------
        (Commission File Number)            (IRS Employer Identification Number)


500 West Monroe Street, Chicago, Illinois                   60661
 -----------------------------------------                  -----
 (Address of principal executive offices)                 (Zip Code)


                                 (312) 441-7000
                                 --------------
              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)


Item 5.  Other Events
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On April 18, 2001, Heller Financial, Inc. (the "Registrant") issued a press
release announcing the declaration of dividends on its two classes of common
stock, Class A Common Stock (which was issued in May, 1998 and is held publicly)
and Class B Common Stock (all of which is held of record by Fuji America
Holdings, Inc.), and on three of the company's preferred stocks, Cumulative
Perpetual Senior Preferred Stock, Series A, Fixed Rate Noncumulative Perpetual
Senior Preferred Stock, Series C and Fixed Rate Noncumulative Perpetual Senior
Preferred Stock, Series D.  A copy of the press release is attached.


Item 7.  Financial Statements and Exhibits
- -------  ---------------------------------

(c)  Exhibits

99.1  Heller Financial, Inc. - Press Release


                                   SIGNATURE

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf
by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

Dated: April 18, 2001
       --------------

                                          HELLER FINANCIAL, INC.



                                          By:    /s/ Lauralee E. Martin
                                                 ----------------------------
                                                 Lauralee E. Martin
                                          Title: Executive Vice President and
                                                 Chief Financial Officer


                                 EXHIBIT INDEX



Exhibit
Number
- ------

99.1    Heller Financial, Inc. - Press Release

EX-99.1

                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.1



   Heller Financial, Inc. Declares Dividends for Class A and B Common Stocks
   -------------------------------------------------------------------------
                   and for Series A, C and D Preferred Stocks
                  -------------------------------------------


  (Chicago, IL, April 18, 2001) -- Heller Financial, Inc. (NYSE: HF) has
declared dividends on its two classes of common stock, Class A Common Stock
(which was issued in May, 1998 and is held publicly) and Class B (all of which
is held of record by Fuji America Holdings, Inc.), and on three of the Company's
preferred stocks, Cumulative Perpetual Senior Preferred Stock, Series A, Fixed
Rate Noncumulative Perpetual Senior Preferred Stock, Series C, and Fixed Rate
Noncumulative Perpetual Senior Preferred Stock, Series D.

     The Company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.10 on each outstanding
share of its Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock, payable on May 15,
2001 to the holders of record thereof on May 1, 2001.  In total, approximately
97 million shares of Class A and Class B common stock are outstanding.

     The Company has also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.5078125 on each
share of the 5,000,000 outstanding shares of the Cumulative Perpetual Senior
Preferred Stock, Series A, payable on May 15, 2001 to the holders of record
thereof on May 1, 2001.  As the Company has previously announced, all of the
5,000,000 outstanding shares of its Series A Preferred Stock will be redeemed on
May 15, 2001 at a redemption price of $25.00 per share, plus the above dividend
to holders of record thereof on May 1, 2001.  Dividends on this series of
Preferred Stock will cease to accrue on the redemption date.

     The Company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.67175 on each share of the
1,500,000 outstanding shares of the Fixed Rate Noncumulative Perpetual Senior
Preferred Stock, Series C, payable on May 15, 2001 to the holders of record
thereof on May 1, 2001.

     The Company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.7375 on each share of the
1,250,000 outstanding shares of the Fixed Rate Noncumulative Perpetual Senior
Preferred Stock, Series D, payable on May 15, 2001 to the holders of record
thereof on May 1, 2001.

     Heller Financial, Inc., is a worldwide commercial finance company providing
a broad range of sophisticated, collateralized financing solutions. With $20
billion in total assets, Heller offers equipment financing and leasing, sales
finance programs, collateral and cash flow-based financing, financing for
healthcare companies and financing for commercial real estate. The company also
offers trade finance, factoring, asset-based lending, leasing and vendor finance
products and programs to clients in Europe, Asia and Latin America. Heller's
common stock is listed as "HF" on the New York and Chicago Stock Exchanges.
Heller can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.hellerfinancial.com.