The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) remained in the spotlight this week as thousands of students across Nigeria monitor the progress of their student loan applications, tuition payments and monthly upkeep allowances.

Between 15 July and 20 July 2026, the agency announced fresh disbursements, addressed concerns over delayed upkeep payments, debunked fake information circulating on social media and continued processing applications from students in eligible tertiary institutions.

Many beneficiaries also continued asking questions such as:

• Has NELFUND started paying upkeep again?
• Why have I not received my allowance?
• Which schools recently received tuition payments?
• When will my school refund my fees?
• Is the NELFUND portal still open?
• Can I still apply for the student loan?

If you have applied for the Federal Government Student Loan or intend to apply, this article brings together every important NELFUND update you need to know as of 20 July 2026.

Read Also: NANS Releases Names of 41 Schools Yet to Refund Students After NELFUND Paid Tuition Fees (See Full List)

 

NELFUND Releases Another ₦1.5 Billion to Three Institutions

One of the biggest developments this month is NELFUND’s latest tuition disbursement to three tertiary institutions across Nigeria.

The Management of NELFund confirmed that over ₦1.5 billion was released to cover tuition fees for 6,129 students who were successfully verified under the student loan programme.

The latest institutions to receive payments are:

• Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology (BOUESTI), Ikere-Ekiti
• Sikiru Adetona College of Education, Science and Technology, Ogun State
• Edo State College of Nursing Sciences, Benin City

According to NELFUND, the largest share of the payment went to BOUESTI, where more than 5,300 students benefited from the programme.

The institution received approximately ₦1.36 billion in tuition payments on behalf of its students.

Sikiru Adetona College of Education received more than ₦104 million covering hundreds of beneficiaries, while Edo State College of Nursing Sciences received over ₦36 million for students approved under the scheme.

This latest disbursement further demonstrates the Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring that financial difficulties do not prevent eligible Nigerian students from completing their education.

Unlike traditional scholarship programmes, the NELFUND Student Loan pays approved tuition fees directly to institutions, allowing students to continue their studies without worrying about immediate payment of school charges.

 

NANS Confirms Upkeep Payments Have Resumed

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) also weighed in on the recent concerns over delayed upkeep payments, assuring students that NELFUND has resumed disbursing monthly allowances to beneficiaries.

Speaking after engaging with officials of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, NANS President Olushola Oladoja explained that the temporary delay was linked to an upgrade of NELFUND’s payment system and not the suspension of the programme.

According to him, the system upgrade was carried out to improve the efficiency of the payment process and reduce delays experienced by beneficiaries.

Oladoja urged students who had not yet received their upkeep allowances to remain calm, noting that payments were already being processed and would continue in batches until all eligible beneficiaries had been credited.

He also advised students to avoid spreading unverified information capable of creating unnecessary panic among beneficiaries.

The reassurance from NANS came after several students raised concerns on social media over delayed payments and rumours that the Federal Government had suspended the upkeep component of the student loan scheme.

NANS Gives NELFUND One Month to Resolve School Fee Refunds

Another major development this week was the intervention of the National Association of Nigerian Students over delayed tuition fee refunds.

According to NANS, many tertiary institutions have already received tuition payments from NELFUND on behalf of students who had earlier paid their school fees before their loan applications were approved.

However, the association said several institutions were yet to refund the affected students despite receiving the money from NELFUND.

Following complaints from beneficiaries across different institutions, NANS disclosed that it had engaged NELFUND management and other stakeholders on the issue.

The association subsequently gave the relevant institutions one month to complete the refund process, warning that it would not hesitate to mobilise peaceful actions if students continued to experience unnecessary delays.

NANS said students who fall into this category deserve timely refunds, as many depend on the money to cover accommodation, feeding, transportation and other academic expenses.

The student body also encouraged affected students to report genuine cases of delayed refunds through their Students’ Union Governments (SUGs) and institutional channels while awaiting further action.

Read Also : UNILAG Releases List of Students With Failed NELFUND Refunds – Check If Your Name Is Included

Why NELFUND Pays Schools Instead of Students

One of the questions students asking is why they never receive tuition payments in their personal bank accounts.

NELFUND has repeatedly explained that the student loan operates under a different payment model.

Once a student’s application is approved, the tuition fee is transferred directly to the student’s institution, not to the beneficiary.

This process helps prevent abuse of the programme and ensures that the money is used strictly for educational purposes.

The only payment sent directly to beneficiaries is the monthly upkeep allowance, which is paid into the bank account provided during registration.

This explains why some students receive tuition confirmation from their schools before seeing any money enter their personal accounts.

What Happens If You Already Paid Your School Fees?

This has become one of the most searched questions among NELFUND beneficiaries.

Many students paid their tuition before their loan applications were approved because they did not want to miss examinations, registration deadlines or academic activities.

After NELFUND later settled the tuition on their behalf, questions emerged about what would happen to the money students had already paid.

The Fund has clarified that such students are not expected to lose their money.

Instead, once the institution confirms receipt of the tuition payment from NELFUND and completes its reconciliation process, the amount previously paid by the student should be refunded.

However, the refund is handled by each institution—not by NELFUND itself.

This means the timeline may differ from one school to another depending on its internal financial procedures.

Students who fall into this category are advised to:

• Visit their school’s bursary department.
• Confirm that NELFUND has paid their tuition.
• Complete any refund documentation requested by the institution.
• Keep all payment receipts and evidence of earlier tuition payments.
• Monitor official announcements from their school regarding refund schedules.

NANS Raises Concern Over Delayed School Fee Refunds

 

One of the biggest issues that dominated discussions this week was the delay in refunding students who had already paid their tuition before NELFUND intervened.

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) disclosed that 39 tertiary institutions had yet to refund affected students despite receiving tuition payments from NELFUND.

According to the student body, many institutions have already received funds covering students whose school fees had previously been paid personally.

NANS urged affected institutions to speed up their reconciliation process and ensure eligible students receive their refunds without unnecessary delays.

For many beneficiaries, this development has become just as important as the approval of the loan itself, especially at a time when many students rely on those funds for accommodation, books and other academic expenses.

Students are encouraged to remain in contact with their institutions rather than relying on rumours circulating on social media.

NELFUND Says Total Disbursement Continues to Rise

Beyond the latest ₦1.5 billion released this month, the student loan programme has continued to record significant growth.

Recent figures released by the Fund show that total disbursements have continued to increase as more institutions complete verification and more students receive approval.

Between May and early July 2026, NELFUND disbursed an additional ₦21.7 billion, pushing the cumulative amount released under the programme to over ₦303 billion.

The increase reflects the growing number of institutions participating in the scheme and the continued expansion of the programme across Nigeria.

Since the student loan initiative was launched, hundreds of tertiary institutions have joined the programme, while well over a million Nigerian students have created accounts on the portal and submitted applications.

For many families struggling with rising tuition costs, the programme has become one of the Federal Government’s most education support initiatives in recent years.

Upkeep Allowance Payments Resume After Temporary Delay

Another major issue that dominated conversations among students last week was the delay in the payment of monthly upkeep allowances.

For several days, many beneficiaries reported that they had not received their expected monthly payments, leading to speculation on social media that the programme had been suspended.

NELFUND later clarified that the delay was caused by an upgrade to its payment infrastructure. According to the Fund, the upgrade was necessary to improve payment processing, strengthen security and ensure that beneficiaries receive their allowances more efficiently.

Following the completion of the system upgrade, the payment of upkeep allowances resumed, with many students confirming that they had started receiving credit alerts.

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) also reassured beneficiaries that the payment delay was temporary and urged students to remain patient while the outstanding payments were processed.

NELFUND explained that payments are not made to every beneficiary on the same day. Instead, they are released in batches after necessary verification and payment approvals have been completed.

For this reason, students who have not yet received their upkeep allowance should not assume that their applications have been rejected.

Why Some Students Have Still Not Received Their Upkeep Allowance

Although payments have resumed, some beneficiaries are still waiting for their allowances.

This does not automatically mean there is a problem with their applications.

Several factors may be responsible for the delay.

1. Institutional Verification Is Still Ongoing

Before any payment is released, NELFUND must receive confirmation from the student’s institution that the applicant is genuinely admitted and eligible under the programme.

If this verification has not been completed, payment cannot be processed.

2. Bank Details May Need Verification

Students who entered incorrect bank account details or whose BVN information does not match their registration records may experience payment delays.

Applicants are advised to ensure that the account details submitted during registration are accurate and belong to them.

3. Payments Are Processed in Batches

NELFUND does not pay every beneficiary at once.

Payments are processed in different batches based on approval dates, verification status and institutional confirmation.

It is therefore common for students in the same institution to receive their upkeep allowances on different dates.

4. Recently Approved Applications

Applicants whose loans were approved only recently may have to wait for the next payment cycle before receiving their first upkeep allowance.

Fake NELFUND Suspension Notice Causes Confusion

One of the biggest rumours this week involved a fake notice claiming that the Federal Government had suspended the payment of monthly upkeep allowances.

The document, which circulated widely on WhatsApp, Facebook and Telegram groups, alleged that NELFUND had stopped disbursing upkeep payments to students.

The agency quickly dismissed the document, describing it as fake and misleading.

NELFUND urged students to ignore unofficial messages circulating on social media and to rely only on information released through its verified communication channels.

The Fund also reminded beneficiaries that any major policy decision affecting the student loan programme would be announced officially through its website and verified social media platforms.

Students are therefore advised not to panic whenever they come across unverified screenshots, circulars or forwarded messages.

NELFUND Application Portal Remains Open

Despite the rumours circulating online, the NELFUND application portal remains open to eligible students.

Students studying in approved public tertiary institutions can continue submitting applications once their institutions have been onboarded into the programme.

Before beginning an application, students should have the following ready:

• National Identification Number (NIN)
• Bank Verification Number (BVN)
• JAMB Registration Number (where applicable)
• Valid admission details
• Active phone number
• Email address
• Bank account details

Applicants are advised to complete their registration personally and avoid third parties requesting payment for assistance.

More Institutions Continue to Join the Programme

NELFUND has continued onboarding more tertiary institutions across Nigeria, allowing additional students to benefit from the student loan scheme.

The onboarding process involves verifying institutional records, integrating student data with the NELFUND platform and confirming admission information before applications can be processed.

Students whose institutions have not yet completed the onboarding process are encouraged to remain patient and monitor announcements from both NELFUND and their schools.

The Fund has maintained that expanding institutional participation remains one of its priorities as it works towards making the programme accessible to more eligible students nationwide.

Latest NELFUND Figures

The student loan programme has continued to record significant growth since its launch.

As of this week:

• More than 1.6 million students have registered on the NELFUND portal.
• Hundreds of tertiary institutions have been onboarded into the programme.
• Total disbursement has exceeded ₦303 billion.
• Thousands of students continue to receive tuition payments and monthly upkeep allowances every week.

These figures highlight the increasing acceptance of the programme among Nigerian students and institutions.

NELFUND Warns Students Against Fraudsters

NELFUND has once again reminded students that the application process is completely free.

The Fund warned applicants not to pay anyone who claims to have the ability to influence approval, speed up processing or guarantee payment.

Students should note the following:

• NELFUND does not use agents.
• No payment is required to apply.
• No payment is required before receiving tuition or upkeep allowances.
• Approval is based solely on eligibility and successful verification.

Any request for money should be treated as an attempt to defraud applicants.

Students are encouraged to report suspicious websites, fake social media accounts and individuals impersonating NELFUND officials.

What Students Should Do If Their Application Is Still Pending

If your application has not yet been approved or you have not received payment, there is no need to submit another application.

Instead, you should:

• Log in to your NELFUND dashboard regularly.
• Monitor your application status.
• Confirm that your institution has completed verification.
• Ensure your bank details are correct.
• Check your email for updates from NELFUND.
• Contact your institution if additional information is required.

Submitting multiple applications may create unnecessary complications and delay processing.