NELFUND Announces Opening Date and Guidelines for 2025/2026 Loan Application

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has announced that its application portal for the 2024/2025 academic session will officially close on Tuesday, September 30, 2025. This marks the end of its second full cycle as the Fund transitions to the 2025/2026 academic session.

In a statement issued by Mrs. Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, Director of Strategic Communications at NELFUND, the closure will allow the organization to finalize pending applications and continue disbursing upkeep payments to approved beneficiaries.

Key dates for the upcoming 2025/2026 session were outlined, urging students and institutions to comply fully:

• Portal Closure: September 30, 2025 (no new applications accepted thereafter)

• New Cycle Opening: Second week of October 2025, remaining open until January 2026

• Records Update: Institutions must update student records on the Student Verification System (SVS) to facilitate application completion

• Verification Deadline: Applications from 2024/2025 not verified by October 8, 2025, will be cancelled automatically

• Institutional Compliance: Students with unpaid applications due to pending verification were advised to work closely with their schools. NELFUND warned that non-compliant institutions will be publicly named to ensure transparency.

NELFUND Managing Director and CEO, Mr. Akintunde Sawyerr, emphasized the importance of this timeline, stating:
“Closing the current application portal is a vital step in preparing for the new academic session. NELFUND is dedicated to removing financial barriers for students and collaborating with institutions to ensure no eligible student is left behind.”

He further stressed that institutional promptness in updating SVS records is essential for uninterrupted access to the loan scheme.