JUST IN: Student Loan Applications to Open for State-Owned Institutions in Three Weeks

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has announced that the student loan scheme will be available to students of state-owned tertiary institutions in three weeks. This follows the recent activation of the NELFUND portal on May 24.

In the initial phase, NELFUND targeted students from federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges. However, the scheme’s second phase will now extend to include state-owned institutions.

At a press briefing on Thursday, Akintunde Sawyerr, Managing Director of NELFUND, highlighted the significant response since the scheme’s launch, with over 60,000 students registering on the portal. Sawyerr noted that this high demand underscores the critical need for financial assistance among students. Despite the large number of registrations, only 30,000 students have successfully completed their applications.

Sawyerr stated that applications from students attending state-owned tertiary institutions will begin on June 25. However, he emphasized that this date might change depending on the speed at which institutions upload their data.

“We request all state institutions to submit their students’ data immediately to facilitate a smooth and seamless application process,” he urged.

Sawyerr also mentioned that over 90 percent of federal institutions have submitted their student data to NELFUND. He called on the remaining two federal universities and five federal polytechnics to expedite their submissions to ensure all eligible students can access financial support.