The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has called on all accredited tertiary institutions across the country to work closely with the agency to update and upload comprehensive student records ahead of the 2025/2026 academic session.
In a statement issued on Thursday, NELFUND spokesperson, Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, said the initiative is part of a proactive strategy to ensure a smooth verification and loan application process for eligible students once the portal opens.
According to Oluwatuyi, institutions must ensure that every student’s information—covering both returning and newly admitted learners—is correctly captured on the NELFUND Student Verification Portal using admission numbers or other unique identifiers.
“NELFUND acknowledges the crucial role tertiary institutions play in the success of the Student Loan Scheme,” Oluwatuyi noted. “We are counting on their continued collaboration to make higher education accessible to all qualified Nigerian students.”
He emphasized that only students whose records are verified and uploaded by their respective schools will be eligible to apply for financial support under the loan scheme.
Institutions have been directed to designate officials to manage the upload process in line with NELFUND’s technical requirements and to complete the exercise promptly.
The data collection is part of NELFUND’s broader effort to streamline loan disbursements through the Student Loan Access System (SLAS). Under the process, schools verify and submit students’ records via the SLAS portal, after which verified applicants’ statuses automatically update to “Disbursed” once payment is made.
NELFUND said the move reflects its commitment to transparency, efficiency, and accountability in managing education loans and ensuring that no eligible student is excluded from accessing financial aid.
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