On May 24, 2024, the Federal government of Nigeria flagged off the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) to offer financial assistance to eligible students through a student loan program. This guide will walk you through the entire application process, from creating an account to submitting your loan request with pictures to support your visualisation of each step.
Eligibility for NELFUND Student Loan Nigeria 2024
Before going into details of the application process of the Nigeria 2024 NELFUND Student Loan, it’s important to confirm your eligibility. The NELFUND student loan program is currently open to Nigerian-born students enrolled in federal government-owned tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
Apply for the NELFUND student loan Nigeria 2024
Here’s a breakdown of the application process:
1. Account creation
- Visit the NELFUND student loan portal at https://nelf.gov.ng/
- Click on “Apply Now” and then “Get Started.”
Once you click “Get Started”, you’ll see the option to signify if you are Nigerian or not. Note that the process will automatically end if you signify that you are not Nigerian because the funding is meant for only Nigerian students. So:
- Select “Nigerian” as your nationality.
- Enter your educational information, including your current institution and matriculation number.
After verification, you might encounter a message suggesting you contact your institution for information updates. Don’t worry, just click “Continue.”
Also, persistent error messages about weak internet connection are likely website glitches. Keep trying and consider using a PC for a smoother experience. Next
- Verify your Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) registration number and date of birth.
You need to ensure the JAMB reg number and your date of birth are correct. And when you click verify you may keep receiving an error message that your internet provider is weak, just keep trying. It’ll eventually go through if your details are correct and you’ll see your image and name pop up.
Then click on ‘continue to create your account.’
2. Secure your login credentials
Here, you’ll be required to:
- Enter your National Identification Number (NIN). The system will verify your NIN immediately upon entering it. Your name should appear just beneath the box where you provided your NIN.
- Use the valid email address associated with your NIN for account creation. Any other email will not work.
- Create a strong password with at least one capital letter, lowercase letter, number, and special character, all exceeding eight characters.
- Click “Create Account” and be persistent if you encounter error messages. Valid details will eventually be accepted.
- You’ll receive a verification link via email. Click the link to access the login page.
3. Login and profile completion
- Here, enter your email address and password to log in.
There’s a possibility you don’t get logged in immediately. You may see prompts like “Invalid login details “ or “wrong email or password” despite you being sure the login details you used are correct. Just wait it out and try logging in later again. If the details you entered are correct, you’ll eventually be able to login. If it doesn’t allow you login, try the reset password option. Please note that you may not get a password reset link, or may not get it immediately. But just try that option if your details don’t log you in after about 24-48 hours.
After logging in, you’ll need to:
- Complete and fill in some more details.
- First is your personal and contact information including your phone number and address and state of residence.
- Then proceed to fill in your educational details including our university and matriculation number. Once you fill them in. The system will automatically generate your program type, academic session, course of study, department and level.
- Then go on to account details.
- For account details, you will need to enter your BVN, bank name, and bank account number.
- Then click complete profile creation. Once created, it will take you to a new page that says ‘Congratulations on updating your student loan portal profile.’
4. Apply for the loan
After the congratulatory message, you click on apply for student loan. This will take you to the 3 steps for the loan application.
If it doesn’t, you can click on ‘Loan’ on the left side of your screen. Then select ‘Request for student loan’ in the top right corner. Then:
- Choose whether you want an additional upkeep allowance of ₦20,000 per month besides the tuition fee loan.
- Upload the required documents which include your JAMB admission letter (mandatory) and your school ID card (optional).Accepted file formats are JPEG or PDF.
- Review the final submission page. Upon loan approval, you’ll receive a notification.
Final thoughts and important notes on applying for the Nigeria NELFUND student loan 2024
The tuition fee will be paid directly to your institution, not to you. Also, only federal government-owned tertiary institutions are currently eligible for this program. You can read about the repayment and more about the NELFUND 2024 student loan scheme here.
As you apply for the 2024 NELFUND student loan fo Nigeria students, understand that no one requires any applicant to pay any fees or see anybody for any process. The loan application and disbursement are fully virtual processes.
