The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has opened its application portal for 36 state-owned tertiary institutions across the country to apply for the federal government loan for students in the country.

TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) recalls NELFUND opened the application portal for the first phase of the student loan scheme for students from federal institutions across the country in May, 2024.

However, NELFUND announced on Sunday that students enrolled in 36 state-owned tertiary institutions in the country can now apply for student loans effective today, 7th July 2024.

According to NELFUND, “the management of these institutions have successfully submitted their student data to the NELFUND Student Verification System (SVS)”.

The fund urged all other state-owned tertiary institutions to submit their complete student data to the NELFUND Student Verification System timely to enable their students benefit from the scheme.

NELFUND gives the list of the 36 state-owned universities currently eligible for the student’s loan as follows:

1. Adamawa State University, Mubi
2. Ramat Polytechnic, Maiduguri
3. Borno State University
4. Mohammet Lawan college of Agriculture, Borno State
5. Edo State University, Uzairue
6. Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti
7. Gombe State University
8. Kingsley Ozumba Mbadiwe University, Imo State
9. Imo State University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Umuagwo
10. Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic, Zaria
11. Yusuf Maitama Sule University, Kano
12. Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, Katsina
13. Katsina State Institute of Technology and Management
14. Kebbi State University of Science and Technology, Aliero
15. Confluence University of Science and Technology, Kogi state
16. Lagos state university of education
17. Lagos State University
18. Nasarawa State University, Keffi
19. Tai Solarin University of Education, Ogun state
20. University of Medical Sciences, Ondo
21. Osun State University
22. UNIVERSITY OF ILESA, OSUN STATE
23. GTC, ARA Osun State
24. GTC, GBONGAN Osun State
25. GTC, IJEBU-JESA Osun State
26. GTC, ILE-IFE Osun State
27. GTC, INISA Osun State
28. GTC, IWO Osun State
29. GTC,OSU Osun State
30. GTC, OTAN AYEGBAJU Osun State
31. OSUN STATE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, ILA-ORANGUN
32. GOVERNMENT TECHNICAL COLLEGE ILE-IFE
33. OSUN STATE COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY
34. Taraba State University, Jalingo
35. Umar Suleiman College of Education, Gashua, Yobe State
36. Zamfara State University, Talata Mafara

Steps to apply for the FG student’s loan

CREATE AN ACCOUNT

• Step 1: visit www.nelf.gov.ng
• Step 2: Click on the “Apply Now”
• Step 3: Click on “Get Started”
• Step 4: Answer the questions on this page to continue by clicking on “Yes, I am a Nigerian”
• Step 5: Verify your educational information. You would be required to select your school from a dropdown and provide your matric number to check if your school has uploaded your details.
• Step 6: Click the “Verify with JAMB” and enter your JAMB details in the screen. (Students whose NIN has not been registered with JAMB will have an input field where they can enter their NIN for validation.)
• Step 7: Create an account by entering your Email address, Password and Confirm Password in the fields provided and click “Create Account”.
• Step 8: Click the email verification link sent to your email. This concludes the process of creating an account.

HOW TO COMPLETE YOUR PROFILE

After successful registration, log in by clicking the “LOGIN” button.

• Step 1: Enter your email address and password to Login.
• Step 2: Click on the “Proceed to Contact Details” button.
• Step 3: Update contact details with the current information of your Phone Number, Full Residential Address, State of Residence and Local Government Area of Residence and click “Proceed to Educational Details”.
• Step 4: Update your educational details by selecting your Higher Institution and inputting your Matric Number, then click “Proceed to Account Details”
• Step 5: Verify your BVN by entering your BVN, select your Bank Name and enter your Account Number. Click “Save Changes” to complete your profile.

LOAN APPLICATION 

• Step 1: Click on the “Request for Student Loan” button at the top right of the screen on the home or loans page after logging into the application.
• Step 2: If you want an upkeep loan, click the check box, and click Continue, if all you need is the institutional charge, click the “Continue” button.
• Step 3: Upload supporting documents. The admission letter is compulsory which the Student ID and Institution Invoice are optional.
• Click the checkbox for the policy and declaration and click “Continue”
• Step 4: Read the loan overview and click the check boxes for both the Terms & Conditions and GSI Mandate then click “Submit Application”
• Step 5: Click on the “Loans” button to view the status of your application.

TNG reports President Bola Tinubu enacted an initial version of the student loan policy in June 2023 to grant interest-free loans to students. The scheme, which was supposed to have taken off in October 2023, was deferred until a re-enactment in April 2024.