Students’ loan: NELFund offers solutions to application access challenges

In the face of many complaints jostling for answers after rolling out the student loan scheme application portal on Friday, May 24, 2024, The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has proffered solutions to students who are facing challenges trying to apply.

Nasir Ayitogo, the head of media and public relations at NELFund who had earlier given step-by-step instructions to students interested in applying for the loan, revealed that the agency has received various kinds of complaints from applicants.

Consequently, the concerned students are counselled to be sure their institutions are listed on the portal

NELFund maintained that if a student’s school is not on the list of institutions, such a student should contact the ICT department of his/her institution and ensure it reaches out to the agency in charge of the students’ loan web.

For those whose matriculation numbers could not be verified on the portal, the agency directed them to contact the ICT department of their universities, polytechnics or colleges of education to upload their records to the Students Verification System (SVS).

Besides, if a student’s Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) registration number is unable to be verified, such a student is also encouraged to contact his/her school to ensure his/her admission was supported by JAMB.

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In quest of trying to access the application portal if a student discovers he/she cannot see any institution in the dropdown list, NELFund counsels that such a candidate should check the internet connection and possibly refresh the browser.

Moreover, NELFund informed students from state-owned institutions who are applying that they may not be captured because the application portal rollout comes in phases starting with federal institutions.

And for students who are complaining that they were unable to verify their account via email, NELFund advised them to make sure that they entered the correct email address.

Akintunde Sawyerr, the managing director at NELFund had on Monday, May 20, 2024, in a media chat explained that the launch of the student loan application portal will be in phases, with the federally owned tertiary institution kick-starting the scheme across the country.

And on Friday, May 24, the loan website was made accessible for all students of federal tertiary institutions who are eligible, as part of the scheme’s pilot phase.

The five categories of people listed as ineligible to take the loan are students found to be guilty of examination malpractice by any school authority.

Students, otherwise known as applicants have defaulted in respect of any previous loan granted to them by any organisation.

Others are students with a criminal record of felony or any offence involving dishonesty or fraud.

Similarly, students whose parents either father or mother, have defaulted in respect of student loans or any loan granted to him or her, and students who have been convicted of drug offences.

Consequently, Nigerian students in public tertiary institutions who are undergraduates and are not guilty of the listed offences are eligible to apply for the loan.