The Nigerian Education Loan Fund has announced that 22 additional state-owned tertiary institutions have been approved for student loan applications, bringing the total number of cleared state institutions to 108.
This approval follows a thorough review by the committee overseeing the Student Verification System.
In a statement posted on NELFUND’s official X account (@NELFUND), students from these newly approved institutions can now access the loan application portal at nelf.gov.ng.
Previously, 86 state-owned institutions had been cleared, and with the addition of these 22 institutions, students from 108 state tertiary institutions are now eligible to apply for financial assistance under the student loan scheme.
“The Nigeria Education Loan Fund has announced that students from the following 22 state-owned tertiary institutions can now apply for loans on its portal: nelf.gov.ng
“This followed a review by the committee responsible for the Student Verification System. Prior to this, 86 state-owned institutions were cleared, bringing a total of 108 institutions whose students are now able to apply,” the statement posted via @NELFUND on X said.
This initiative is a key component of President Bola Tinubu’s educational reforms.
Shortly after his inauguration, Tinubu signed the Access to Higher Education Act into law, establishing a framework for providing loans to financially disadvantaged or low-income Nigerians to cover their tuition fees in higher education institutions across the country.
The act, which was reenacted earlier this year, led to the creation of NELFUND, an organization tasked with managing all aspects of the student loan process, including loan requests, grants, disbursement, and recovery.
The fund is designed to be sustained through various revenue streams and will also engage in other productive activities as outlined in the law.
This development marks a significant step in the implementation of the student loan scheme, a flagship project under Tinubu’s administration aimed at expanding access to higher education for all Nigerians.
