This post is to explain Why Many Students May Lose Access to Nelfund Upkeep Loan following the new disbursment policy.

Naijaonpoint Media reports that Thousands of Nigerian students risk losing access to upkeep loans following the Nigerian Education Loan Fund’s (NELFUND) new disbursement rules.

The fresh directive, which ties upkeep payments strictly to each institution’s academic calendar, has left many students anxious. Under the new system, upkeep support stops immediately a session ends, regardless of whether a student still needs financial assistance before transitioning into the next academic year.

A Policy That Could Leave Students Stranded

While NELFUND insists the move will prevent duplicate payments and enhance transparency, education stakeholders warn it could unintentionally cut off many students. For example, delays in schools uploading their academic schedules or verifying students’ records could automatically disqualify otherwise eligible applicants.

Common Traps Leading to Rejection

NELFUND highlighted some of the pitfalls students should watch out for:

Paperwork errors – Simple mistakes such as wrong account details or mismatched names can trigger rejections.
Delayed verification – Applications may stall if institutions fail to approve student details on time.
Closed sessions – Students applying after their school’s academic year has officially ended will miss out completely.

A Growing Fear Among Students

The fear among applicants is that technical issues beyond their control, such as bureaucratic delays from schools, may end up costing them their only chance at upkeep funding. “It’s worrying that students could suffer just because their institutions delay verification,” one student lamented on social media.