The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has announced that its application portal for the 2025/2026 academic session will open in the second week of October 2025, providing fresh opportunities for students to access the government’s interest-free loan scheme.
The new application cycle will remain open until January 2026, giving prospective beneficiaries ample time to complete their submissions.
NELFUND also urged institutions to promptly update student records on the Student Verification System (SVS) to enable seamless processing of applications.
This comes after the closure of the 2024/2025 portal on September 30, 2025, marking the end of the scheme’s second full cycle. All unverified applications from the outgoing session will be automatically cancelled after October 8, 2025, with affected students required to reapply under the new cycle.
Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of NELFUND, Mr. Akintunde Sawyerr, said the timelines were designed to provide clarity and ensure no eligible student is excluded.
“Announcing the closure of the current application portal is a necessary step to prepare for the next cycle. NELFUND remains committed to removing financial barriers for students and to working with institutions to ensure that no eligible student is left behind,” Sawyerr stated.
He also assured that upkeep payments for students under the 2024/2025 session would continue until November 2025 but stressed that all students must reapply for the 2025/2026 cycle to remain eligible.
Institutions that fail to complete mandatory verification of student lists by the deadline will be named publicly for non-compliance, NELFUND warned.
The Fund advised students to maintain close contact with their school management and submit their applications early, emphasising that transparency and institutional cooperation remain central to the success of the scheme.
