The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has expressed concern over reports that some tertiary institutions are delaying or refusing to refund students whose tuition fees had already been paid before the disbursement of NELFUND loans.
The Fund also raised alarm over what it described as arbitrary increases in tuition and other institutional charges by some schools, warning that such actions undermine the objectives of the Student Loan Scheme.
In a statement signed by its Director of Strategic Communications, Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, NELFUND said the Student Loan Scheme, introduced by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was designed to eliminate financial barriers to higher education and not to impose additional burdens on students.
According to the statement, the Fund is engaging the affected institutions and relevant authorities to ensure that eligible students receive due refunds for tuition fees already paid before the loan disbursements.
NELFUND also said it is working to ensure that tuition and other institutional charges remain fair, transparent and aligned with the objectives of the scheme.
“The Student Loan Scheme… was established to remove financial barriers to higher education, not to create additional burdens for Nigerian students,” the statement read.
The Fund reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the interests of students and safeguarding the integrity of the student loan programme, describing it as a landmark national intervention aimed at expanding access to tertiary education.
NELFUND urged institutions participating in the scheme to uphold transparency and fairness in their dealings with beneficiaries to ensure the initiative achieves its intended impact.
