How to Apply for the NELFUND Student Loan in Nigeria

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) is a government loan scheme set up in 2024 to help students who cannot afford their school fees, with repayment made after graduation. You apply online through the official NELFUND website at https://nelf.gov.ng/. The portal for the 2025/2026 academic session opened on 23 October 2025 and was scheduled to close on 31 January 2026, so check the official site for the current window before you start.

• Your matriculation number
• Your JAMB details, and your National Identification Number (NIN) if it is not registered with JAMB
• An email address you can access, and a secure password
• Your phone number, full residential address, state and local government area of residence
• Your Bank Verification Number (BVN), your bank and your account number
• A scanned copy of your admission letter (mandatory)
• Your student ID and your institution's invoice (optional uploads)

1. Go to the official NELFUND website at https://nelf.gov.ng/.
2. Click on the "Apply Now" button on the homepage.
3. Select "Get Started" to begin your application.
4. Answer the preliminary questions to confirm your eligibility, selecting "Yes, I am a Nigerian" to confirm your nationality.
5. Enter your matriculation number to check whether your institution has submitted your details.
6. Click on "Verify with JAMB" and enter your JAMB details as prompted. If your NIN is not registered with JAMB, provide your NIN for validation.
7. Enter your email address, set a secure password, confirm it and click "Create Account".
8. Check your email for a verification link from NELFUND and click it to activate your account.
9. Return to the NELFUND portal, click "LOGIN" and enter your registered email and password.
10. Update your contact details with your current phone number, full residential address, state and local government area, then click "Proceed to Educational Details".
11. Select your higher institution from the list, enter your matriculation number accurately and click "Proceed to Account Details".
12. Enter your BVN, select your bank from the dropdown menu, input your account number and click "Save Changes" to complete your profile.
13. Click on the "Request for Student Loan" button at the top right corner after logging in.
14. Specify what you need: tick the checkbox if you require funds for personal upkeep, or proceed without selecting it if you only need institutional charges covered. Click "Continue".
15. Upload a scanned copy of your admission letter, which is mandatory. You may also upload your student ID and your institution's invoice. Acknowledge the policy and declaration by checking the box, then click "Continue".
16. Read through the loan overview carefully, agree to the Terms & Conditions and the Global Standing Instruction (GSI) Mandate by checking the respective boxes, then click "Submit Application".
17. Click on the "Loans" section to view the current status of your application.

• The loans are interest free. NELFUND says the aim is to reduce the financial stress on students and their families.
• The academic loan is paid to your school's account, not to you. Funds for upkeep are sent to your personal account.
• How much you get depends on your tuition fees and other payments at your school. NELFUND also pays a monthly stipend as part of the loan, but the fund has not said how much that stipend will be, only that it will not pass a certain amount.
• NELFUND runs background checks, so applying does not guarantee you will get the loan. You may be disqualified if you have borrowed from a financial institution before and not repaid, if you submit fake or fraudulent documents, if a school authority has found you guilty of exam malpractices or expelled you, or if you have committed fraud, forgery, drug offences, cultism, felony or any offence involving dishonesty.
• Your institution must have uploaded its student data to the NELFUND portal. That data is what allows NELFUND to verify you as a real student, so if your school has not uploaded it, you cannot be verified.
• Repayment starts two years after your National Youth Service. If you have a job, 10 per cent of your salary is collected until the loan is repaid. If you are self-employed, 10 per cent of your monthly profit is collected, but you pay it yourself at the education bank.
• If you refuse to repay, you face penalties, legal action and potential damage to your credit score. The Act provides for a N500,000 fine, two years in prison, or both.
• NELFUND says it has received 795,321 loan applications so far.

When does the application portal open? For the 2025/2026 academic session, the portal opened on 23 October 2025 and was scheduled to close on 31 January 2026. Check the official NELFUND site for the current window.

Do I pay interest on the loan? No. The government says the loans are interest free.

Will the money be paid to me? No. The academic loan goes to your school's account. Only the funds for upkeep are sent to your personal account.

When do I start paying back? Two years after your National Youth Service. If you are employed, 10 per cent of your salary is collected until you finish paying.

What if my school has not uploaded my data? Your institution's student data is what NELFUND uses to verify you, so you cannot be verified until it is uploaded.