The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has announced fresh guidelines on the disbursement of upkeep loans to students across the country, stating that all payments will now be strictly tied to the academic session of each institution.
In the new directive released on August 21, 2025, NELFUND clarified that upkeep loans will only cover the period of a student’s current academic session. Once an institution’s academic year concludes, the disbursement of upkeep funds for that session will automatically stop. This means students moving into a new academic year will no longer be eligible to receive upkeep loans for the previous session.
The agency emphasized that students who wish to benefit from both institutional charge loans and upkeep support must apply at the start of every academic session. This adjustment, NELFUND explained, is designed to streamline the process, prevent overlapping payments, and ensure students receive support aligned with their institution’s official calendar.
To guarantee transparency, NELFUND has also revealed that its loan portal is undergoing automation to reflect the new system. The upgraded platform will only display upkeep loans tied to the relevant session, showing clearly what each student is entitled to. Institutions have been strongly urged to upload their academic calendars promptly to avoid delays in students accessing their full benefits.
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Mrs. Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, Director of Strategic Communications at NELFUND, reiterated the Fund’s commitment to providing accessible and efficient financial support to Nigerian students. She noted that the new directive is part of wider efforts to make the loan process more transparent, accountable, and beneficial for both students and institutions.
“NELFUND remains committed to its mandate of providing accessible, transparent, and efficient loan support to Nigerian students, and counts on the cooperation of all stakeholders for smooth implementation,” the statement read.
The announcement comes at a time when access to education financing remains a pressing concern for millions of Nigerian families. With this new policy, NELFUND hopes to not only curb inefficiencies in the loan system but also strengthen its promise of increasing access to higher education.
