The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has officially launched its portal for the 2025/2026 academic session, offering financial assistance to eligible students across the country. This initiative aims to provide access to much-needed funds for both newly admitted and returning students in accredited tertiary institutions.
According to a statement released by the Fund’s Director of Strategic Communications, Mrs. Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, the Managing Director of NELFUND, Mr. Akintunde Sawyerr, made the announcement on Tuesday in Abuja. He confirmed that the application portal will remain open from Thursday, October 23, 2025, to Saturday, January 31, 2026, aligning with the full academic cycle.
Sawyerr expressed his gratitude to the various institutions for their collaboration thus far, urging continued support to ensure a smooth, transparent, and inclusive loan application process. He particularly emphasized the importance of updating student records on the Student Verification Portal, a crucial step for students to access the loan benefits.
“Accurate institutional data is essential for students to successfully apply for and benefit from the loan scheme. Institutions must ensure that they upload verified records of both newly admitted and returning students,” said Sawyerr.
The NELFUND boss reminded institutions to make the necessary updates before the deadline and stated that students should not be left out of the process due to delays. He also encouraged institutions to adjust their registration and fee deadlines for students awaiting loan disbursements to ensure that there are no disruptions in their academic progress due to financial constraints.
Eligible students for the loan scheme include those newly admitted into accredited institutions and returning students. First-year applicants can use their admission or JAMB numbers as a substitute for matriculation numbers during the verification process.
Furthermore, Sawyerr urged institutions that had not yet begun their 2025/2026 academic session to send their academic calendars to NELFUND to facilitate proper scheduling and disbursement of loans.
To accommodate students facing delays in loan disbursement, Sawyerr recommended that temporary registration measures be put in place, ensuring no qualified student is denied access to education due to financial hold-ups.
