NELFUND will open its 2025/2026 loan application portal in October, offering students access to Nigeria’s interest-free loan scheme until January 2026

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) confirmed that the new cycle will remain open until January 2026, ensuring applicants have sufficient time to complete their submissions.

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The announcement comes shortly after the closure of the 2024/2025 application window on 30 September 2025, which marked the end of the scheme’s second full cycle.

According to the Fund, all unverified applications from the outgoing session will be automatically cancelled after 8 October, with affected students required to reapply under the new round.

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NELFUND, Mr Akintunde Sawyerr, explained that the timelines were introduced to provide clarity and fairness.

“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,” he said.

Sawyerr also confirmed that upkeep payments to students under the 2024/2025 cycle will continue until November 2025, but stressed that all beneficiaries must reapply for the new session to maintain eligibility.

NELFUND further urged institutions to update student records promptly on the Student Verification System (SVS) to enable seamless processing.

It warned that institutions failing to meet the verification deadline would be named publicly for non-compliance.

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The Fund advised students to liaise closely with their school management and to submit applications early, emphasising that transparency, timely verification, and cooperation between schools and NELFUND are central to the success of the loan scheme.