Published: October 12, 2025
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) reopened its Student Loan Application/Verification portal for a final 48-hour window (from 12:00 a.m. Sunday, Oct 12, 2025 to 12:00 a.m. Tuesday, Oct 14, 2025) to allow institutions that have not completed student verification to finish the exercise.
NELFUND has re-opened its student verification portal for 48 hours (Oct 12–14, 2025) to give tertiary institutions a final chance to upload and verify students for the 2024/2025 loan cycle. Institutions that fail to complete verification risk forfeiting participation in this loan cycle. This article explains who NELFUND is, why the 48-hour reopening matters, what documents you need, and a simple step-by-step guide to register and verify your status.
Why this matters
Students: If your institution doesn’t verify you during the window, you may miss out on the current 2024/2025 loan/allowance disbursement cycle. Institutions: NELFUND published a list of institutions that had not uploaded student data (203 schools) and warned of consequences if verification isn’t completed.
About NELFUND
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) is the federal agency set up under the Student Loans (Access to Higher Education) Act (re-enacted 2024) to manage the national student loan programme.
Its mandate is to provide interest-free loans and grants to eligible Nigerian students in public tertiary institutions, improve access to higher education, and manage disbursements and repayments.
NELFUND runs an online Student Loan Application System (SLAS / portal) where institutions upload/verify student lists and students apply.
Official announcement & timeline
NELFUND confirmed — via its official channels and statement — that the portal would be open from 12:00 a.m. on Sunday, Oct 12, 2025 to 12:00 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct 14, 2025 for the student verification exercise. Institutions were strongly urged to use the window; failure to verify means forfeiting participation for the current loan cycle. NELFUND OFFICIAL CHANNEL
Who is eligible
According to NELFUND’s published guidance and FAQs, the typical eligibility rules include:
- Be a Nigerian citizen. Be a student with secured admission into a public Nigerian university, polytechnic, college of education, or accredited vocational institution for the 2024/2025 academic year.
- Provide verifiable identity (NIN) and educational documents (admission letter, JAMB where applicable) and an account with a BVN for disbursement. (Check your institution/NELFUND for final list.)
Note: Precise eligibility rules can vary (grants vs loans; allowances; institutional participation).
Always check the official NELFUND FAQ/guidelines and your institution’s bursary/ICT office for institution-specific instructions.
Documents & info you should have ready
- National Identification Number (NIN) — valid.
- Bank Verification Number (BVN) and bank account details (name must match official records).
- Proof of admission (JAMB slip/admission letter or institutional proof).
- Student ID and/or Matriculation number.
- Recent passport photograph (digital jpg/png per portal specs).
- Valid email address and phone number.
Simple step-by-step guide for eligible students — how to sign up and check verification
These steps assume your institution participates and will verify student lists on the NELFUND portal. If your institution is on the non-compliant list, contact your school’s bursary/ICT unit immediately.
Step 1 — Confirm your institution is participating
Ask your departmental officer, Student Affairs, bursary or ICT desk whether the school has uploaded student data to NELFUND for 2024/2025. If your school is on the list of non-compliant institutions, push them to act during the 48-hour window. (NELFUND published a list of 203 defaulting institutions.)
Step 2 — Visit the official portal
Official Student Loan Portal (SLAS): portal.nelf.gov.ng. Use the portal to register or log in. Always use the official domain to avoid scams.
Step 3 — Create an account (if you don’t have one)
On the portal click Create New Account / Register. You’ll be asked: Are you Nigerian? (answer), verify educational information (follow prompts), verify student status (JAMB or institutional verification). Provide accurate details.
Step 4 — Complete your profile
Upload required documents (NIN, admission letter / JAMB, passport photo, BVN). Double-check that names match across documents.
Step 5 — Submit application / request verification
If your school has uploaded students, you should appear in the institution’s list for verification. If you are not listed, contact your school immediately — they must verify you from their institutional panel.
Step 6 — Track your status
After submission, monitor the portal and your email for status updates. The portal indicates stages (Uploaded → Verified by institution → NELFUND review → Approved / Disbursed).
Step 7 — If problems occur
If you do not see your name but you meet eligibility, escalate at your institution immediately. If the institution has not uploaded, students cannot self-verify — the institution must do it. If your school is on NELFUND’s non-compliant list, push the school authorities to act in the 48-hour window; otherwise the school — and consequently affected students — may be excluded from this loan cycle.
How institutions verify students (brief for school admins)
Institution logs into the institutional panel on the same portal. Uploads the student dataset according to the required template. Confirms (verifies) each student record so students can apply from the portal. Failure to upload/verify within the 48-hour window risks exclusion from the current disbursement cycle.
Common issues & quick troubleshooting
I registered but can’t find my record: Check with your institution — you must be uploaded and verified by them. Portal slow or down: High traffic is expected during limited windows. Try different times of day, clear cache, use a reliable connection. If the portal is down repeatedly, contact NELFUND support via official channels. Name mismatch/BVN issues: Ensure BVN account name matches official name. Update bank record if needed before reapplying.
What happens if your school misses the 48 hours?
NELFUND explicitly warned that institutions failing to complete verification within the stipulated period will forfeit participation in this loan cycle — which means affected students may miss disbursements for 2024/2025. If that happens, affected students will likely need to wait for the next application cycle. (NELFUND published a list of 203 defaulting institutions.)
Helpful links & sources (official / reputable)
Official NELFUND Student Loan Portal (SLAS): portal.nelf.gov.ng OFFICIAL NELFUND WEBSITE
Quick tips to avoid rejection/delays
Ensure names are consistent across NIN, BVN, school records, and portal. Submit clear scanned documents (admission letter, ID).
Keep copies of all submission screenshots and emails. If your institution is slow, gather a small group of students to escalate to school management quickly — institutional action is needed for verification.
FAQ
Q: Can students self-verify without school involvement?
A: No — institutions must upload and verify student lists. Students apply through the portal once verified.
Q: Is the loan interest-free?
A: NELFUND’s programme is structured to provide interest-free student loans (check the portal for latest product details).
Q: Where do I report fraud/scams?
A: Use NELFUND’s official website contact channels and avoid sharing sensitive documents on unofficial platforms. Always confirm domain nelf.gov.ng or portal.nelf.gov.ng.
In Conclusion
✅ If you are a student: check with your institution today.
Ensure your school uploaded/verified you in the Oct 12–14, 2025 window.
✅ If you are an institutional admin: log into the institutional panel at portal.nelf.gov.ng and complete uploads/verification within the stated 48-hour window.