By Abiola Olawale
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has announced its decision to postpone the loan application process for students of state-owned institutions.
The application which was initially scheduled to open on June 25, 2024, will now commence on July 10, 2024.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, by the Head, of Media and Public Relations, Nasir Ayitogo, NELFUND said the reason for the postponement was due to low data submissions.
The agency explained that several state-owned institutions are yet to upload the required student data and fee information to the NELFUND Student Verification System.
The statement reads in part: “To date, only a limited number of state-owned institutions have 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 organization 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.
The New Diplomat reports that on June 12, 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed the Access to Higher Education Act, 2023 into law.
The law enables Nigerian students to access interest-free loans for their educational pursuits in any Nigerian tertiary institution.
