FG Lists 36 State Universities That Can Apply For Students’ Loan 

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) on Sunday announced that approval has been given to students from state-owned tertiary institutions to access the federal government loan. NELFUND, in a statement on Sunday via its official X account, listed 36 state-owned tertiary institutions that can now apply for student loans. The statement disclosed that the management of these institutions have successfully submitted their student data to the NELFUND Student Verification System (SVS). It also 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. Below are the institutions that can now apply. 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. It would be recalled that NELFUND had previously announced that students of state-owned institutions would not be able to access loans on the platform yet.

BREAKING: NELFUND postpones student loan application for state-owned institutions

The Management of Nigerian Education Loan Fund on Tuesday announced a 14-day postponement of the application process for student loan for state institutions due” to low data submissions,” a statement by the agency said in Abuja. The Fund said the decision was necessitated by the failure of several state-owned institutions to upload the required student data and fee information to the NELFUND Student Verification System. “To date, only a limited number of state-owned institutions have successfully completed the data submission process. These include 20 state universities out of 48, 12 state colleges out of 54, and 2 state polytechnics out of 49. “While we acknowledge the efforts of these institutions, the failure to submit data from the remaining state institutions poses significant challenges to ensuring a seamless and accurate verification process for student loan applicants. “The application window, initially set to open on June 25, 2024, will now commence on July 10, 2024.” The Fund said the extension will provide additional time for state institutions to comply with the data submission requirements and ensure their students can benefit from the Federal Government student loan scheme. To facilitate an efficient and error-free application process, it is crucial that all state institutions provide complete and accurate information. This includes JAMB numbers, matriculation numbers, admission numbers, full names, level, faculties, departments, duration of program, fees, and gender of all eligible students. Incomplete or incorrect data submissions will result in application delays and potential disqualification for affected students. The fund urged all state institutions to expedite their data submission processes and ensure the accuracy of the information provided. It further warned that Institutions that fail to meet the revised deadline risk disadvantaging their students, who depend on these loans to support their education

FG Reveals Those Exempted From Students Loan 

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund has revealed that Nigerian students studying abroad are ineligible for the newly introduced student loan scheme. The NELFUND’s Managing Director, Akintunde Sawyerr, disclosed this information on Friday. The Access to Higher Education Act, 2023, signed into law by President Bola Tinubu on June 12, aims to provide interest-free loans to indigent students attending Nigerian tertiary institutions. The move is in line with Tinubu’s campaign promise to enhance education funding. Dele Alake, a member of the former Presidential Strategy Team, noted the significance of this legislation in making education more accessible. Following a briefing from NELFUND led by Minister of State for Education, Dr Yusuf Sununu, on January 22, the President instructed the Fund to extend interest-free loans to students pursuing skill-development programmes. Despite these delays, the scheme has seen significant interest, with 30,000 students successfully registering and over 60,000 individuals signing up on the NELFUND website. However, on May 22, 2024, a group of Nigerian students at Teesside University were expelled from their courses and ordered to leave the United Kingdom due to difficulties in paying their tuition fees on time, according to a BBC report. The students cited the devaluation of the naira as a significant barrier to meeting their financial obligations, which has led to a breach of their visa sponsorship requirements. Nevertheless, Sawyerr clarified that the loan scheme was exclusively for students studying within Nigeria. “Nigerians in Diaspora cannot benefit from the student loan. Nigerians schooling in the country are those we want to help. The law does not allow the FG to give loans to Nigerians studying abroad,” he stated. Criticising the exclusion of Nigerian students in foreign institutions from the recently introduced student loan scheme, the National Mobilisation Officer, Education Rights Campaign, Adaramoye Lenin, stated that this exclusion highlighted the inadequacy of the scheme in addressing the educational needs of Nigerian students. He argued that the government was using the loan scheme to avoid properly funding public education, instead shifting the financial burden onto students.