NELFUND extends student loan application deadline to February 27

By Kunle Sanni –

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has extended the application deadline for the 2025/2026 academic session to February 27, 2026, shifting the earlier cut-off date of January 31, 2026.

The extension was announced in a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday by the Fund’s Director of Strategic Communications, Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, who said the decision was taken to allow more time for prospective applicants to complete and submit their applications.

According to the statement, the move is aimed at ensuring that no eligible student is excluded from the student loan scheme due to time constraints.

“The Nigerian Education Loan Fund has announced an extension of the application deadline for the 2025/2026 academic session from January 31, 2026, to February 27, 2026,” the statement said.

Speaking on the development, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyerr, said the extension underscores the Fund’s commitment to inclusivity and access to education. He noted that some applicants may require additional time to complete their submissions and assured that the decision would give all eligible Nigerian students a fair opportunity to benefit from the scheme.

NELFUND urged students who have not yet applied, as well as those with incomplete applications, to take advantage of the extended deadline and ensure that all required information is submitted on or before February 27, 2026. The Fund added that further updates would be communicated through its official channels.

NELFUND was established to manage the Nigeria Student Loan Scheme, which was signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in April 2024. The initiative provides interest-free loans to students in public tertiary institutions to cover tuition fees and living expenses, as part of efforts to ease financial barriers to higher education, particularly for students from low-income backgrounds.

Applications for the scheme opened in May 2024, with beneficiaries expected to repay the loans after completing their education and securing employment. As of January 29, 2026, the total amount disbursed under the student loan scheme stood at ₦174,561,719,810.