Nigeria opens student loan portal for 2025/2026 academic session

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has officially commenced the application process for its zero-interest student loan scheme for the 2025/2026 academic session. The portal is scheduled to open on Thursday, October 23, 2025, and will accept applications until Saturday, January 31, 2026.
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The student loan scheme was introduced by the government to provide financial support for students in public tertiary institutions to cover institutional charges and upkeep.
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The program seeks to ensure equitable access to higher education, particularly due to the rises in school fees across many federal institutions.
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The application process relies heavily on the collaboration of tertiary institutions to upload and verify student records, a process that has previously faced challenges and required institutional compliance to ensure only eligible students benefit from the zero-interest loans.
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‎NELFUND is prioritizing institutional compliance and data verification to ensure the smooth, transparent, and correct disbursement of funds to eligible students, thus fulfilling its mandate of increasing students access to higher education. 
‎Prospective applicants must ensure their respective institutions submit verified records to avoid complications.