By Ademola Adekusibe
October 21, 2025
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has announced the official opening of its online application portal for students seeking financial assistance for the 2025/2026 academic session.
According to a statement issued by the Fund’s management, the application window will run from Thursday, October 23, 2025, to Saturday, January 31, 2026. The initiative aims to support students from federal and state-owned tertiary institutions across the country in covering tuition and other academic-related expenses.
NELFUND explained that all accredited tertiary institutions have been directed to upload verified data of both newly admitted and returning students on the Student Verification Portal. Only verified students will be eligible to access the loan. The Fund emphasized that for first-year students who do not yet have matriculation numbers, JAMB registration numbers or admission numbers can be used for verification purposes.
The agency further appealed to universities and other tertiary institutions to exercise flexibility with registration and payment deadlines, to ensure that students awaiting disbursement of approved loans are not unduly penalized. It also urged institutions that have not commenced the new session to share their academic calendars with the Fund to enable effective scheduling of disbursement timelines.
NELFUND described the loan scheme as a major step towards equitable access to higher education and a tool for reducing financial barriers faced by students. The loan application process, according to the Fund, is fully digital, free of charge, and can be completed within 15 to 30 minutes through the official portal — portal.nelf.gov.ng.
The management also reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and accountability in loan processing, stressing that collaboration with institutions remains key to achieving seamless verification and disbursement.
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund, established under the Student Loan Act, is tasked with providing interest-free loans to eligible Nigerian students to ensure that no citizen is denied access to tertiary education due to financial constraints.
