Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has announced official closure of application portal for the 2024/2025 academic session on Tuesday, September 30, 2025.

Managing Director of NELFUND, Professor Akintunde Sawyerr, announced this at a news conference on Monday in Abuja.

He also disclosed that the portal would reopen in the second week of October 2025 for fresh applications into the 2025/2026 academic session, noting that the transition is necessary to maintain a smooth operational cycle.

Sawyerr explained that the closure of the portal marks the conclusion of the second full cycle of the scheme and would enable the Fund to finalise processing of pending applications and upkeep payments.

He revealed that from inception, the Fund has empowered about 600,000 students across the country, North, South, East, and West, saying 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, “In line with NELFUND’s mandate to support equitable access to higher education across Nigeria, the Fund is also releasing timelines for the commencement of applications into the new academic session:

“Closure of Current Session Portal. The 2024/2025 portal will close on September 30, 2025. No further student applications will be accepted after this date.

“Opening of New Application Cycle: The portal will reopen in the second week of October 2025 for fresh applications into the 2025/2026 academic session. This cycle will remain open until January 2026.

“Institutional Records Update Institutions are hereby informed to update their students’ records on the Student Verification System (SVS) to enable students to apply for the 2025/2026 academic session,” he stated.

He, however, clarified that any institution that has not commenced a new academic session within the stated application window should notify NELFUND for additional concessions to accommodate its students.

The NELFUND boss warned that all applications for the 2024/2025 academic session that remain unverified by institutions after October 8, 2025, would be automatically cancelled, calling on the heads of all beneficiary institutions to keep to the deadline.

“Students in this category are strongly encouraged to prompt their school management to complete the verification process before the deadline. Affected students will be required to submit fresh applications for the 2025/2026 academic year,” he added.

He explained that students whose applications remain unapproved or unpaid should note that this is due to their institutions not completing the mandatory verification of student lists, saying NELFUND is actively engaging with these institutions to resolve the delays.

Sawyerr warned the institutions that all those that fail to carry out the verification of students by the stipulated deadline should note that NELFUND would publish the names of all non-compliant institutions for transparency.

On upkeep payments, NELFUND revealed that upkeep for the 2024/2025 session would continue to be disbursed until November 2025, stating, however, that students must reapply for the 2025/2026 academic session to continue receiving upkeep payments.

“Announcing the closure of the current application portal is a necessary step to prepare for the next cycle. These timelines provide clarity for students, parents, and institutions to plan ahead and participate fully in the process.

“We also urge all institutions to update their students’ records on the Student Verification System (SVS) promptly, as this step is critical to enabling students to access the Fund.

“To ensure transparency, the final date for institutions to submit verified student records is October 8, 2025.

NELFUND encourages students to liaise closely with their institutions, complete their applications on time, and reapply promptly for the 2025/2026 session to avoid missing out on the benefits of the scheme,” he stated. (Nigerian Tribune)