The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has issued a directive to all tertiary institutions across the country, ordering them to refund tuition fees paid by students who had applied and been verified under the federal student loan scheme. This move aims to address complaints from beneficiaries who had paid fees prior to receiving their loans.
NELFUND’s Managing Director, Akintunde Sawyerr, emphasized the importance of institutions complying with their agreements with the agency to ensure smooth operations of the student loan programme. He stressed that students who had been verified under the scheme should not be barred from participating in academic activities, including examinations, due to non-payment of tuition.
“Institutions are bound by the agreements they signed with NELFUND to make this scheme work effectively,” Sawyerr said. He called for more cooperation from universities, polytechnics, and other institutions to prevent further complaints from students.
As of yesterday evening, NELFUND’s official website revealed that a total of 597,337 students had registered for the loan, with 547,954 successfully applying. The scheme, which offers zero-interest loans, has already disbursed a total of N54 billion to students across the country, according to a recent update from the agency.
The refund process has already begun at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), where some students have started receiving refunds for their fees. Sawyerr, represented by NELFUND’s Director of Strategic Communications, Mrs. Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, confirmed that this initiative applies to all institutions where students had paid their fees before their loan was processed.
“We expect all institutions to begin refunds as soon as possible,” said Oluwatuyi. She also reminded universities and polytechnics that they should not prevent verified students from accessing academic services, as outlined in their memorandums of understanding with NELFUND.
At UNILAG, Vice-Chancellor Folasade Ogunsola, represented by the Dean of Student Affairs, Musa Obalola, assured students that the refund process was almost complete. She also encouraged students to provide their correct bank details to ensure they receive the refunds without further delays.
Despite the smooth progress at institutions like UNILAG, some challenges remain. For example, the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) has seen some resistance to the loan scheme, especially from families in the South-South and South-East regions. Vice-Chancellor of UNIPORT, Professor Owunari Georgewill, attributed the low uptake of the loan to cultural resistance, as many families are reluctant to take on debt, even when it is interest-free.
“The word ‘loan’ discourages many families, especially in the South-South and South-East regions,” said Georgewill. “We suggest rebranding the scheme as a ‘repayable grant’ to make it more appealing.”
The NELFUND team also visited several other institutions, including Ignatius Ajuru University of Education in Port Harcourt, as part of their ongoing sensitization campaign. At The Polytechnic Ibadan (TPI), NELFUND announced that in two weeks, it will disburse loans to 6,004 students. NELFUND’s Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, Aliyu Muhammad, reassured students that their tuition would be credited to their school accounts, along with a monthly stipend of N20,000.
With more than three million applications on NELFUND’s portal, the scheme continues to gain traction, though the agency remains committed to addressing allegations of fraud and ensuring transparency in the process.
“We are working closely with security and anti-graft agencies to ensure no misappropriation of funds,” Muhammad said. “We remain focused on providing students with the support they need for a successful academic journey.”
