The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has extended the deadline for student loan applications after receiving a surge in demand from students and institutions across the country, education sector reports say.

The extension was announced on Monday March 2, 2026 in a statement signed by Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, Director of Strategic Communications at NELFUND, following rising interest and feedback from applicants who needed more time to complete their submissions on the student loan portal.

Originally slated to close on February 27, 2026, the portal will remain open for a further period as approved by the fund’s management to ensure eligible students have sufficient opportunity to apply and finalise their loan requests. Officials said the decision was prompted by strong responses to the fund’s awareness campaigns and expanded outreach across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.

The extension targets students who have just learned about the loan programme, those who require extra time to complete their applications and higher education institutions that are yet to submit verified student lists, according to the statement from the fund.

NELFUND was established under the Nigeria Student Loan Scheme to provide interest-free loans to students in public tertiary institutions to help cover tuition costs and living expenses and to remove financial barriers to higher education. As of the previous deadline many applicants had already registered and completed submissions, but the fund said it wants to give all eligible students a fair chance to benefit from the programme.

Students are encouraged to visit the official NELFUND portal and complete their applications within the new timeframe before the portal finally closes.