The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has condemned some tertiary institutions for delaying or refusing to refund tuition fees to students who had already paid before their education loans were disbursed.
The agency also expressed concern over reports that some institutions have arbitrarily increased tuition fees and other charges, warning that such practices undermine the objectives of the Federal Government’s student loan scheme.
In a statement issued on Monday in Abuja, Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, NELFUND’s Director of Strategic Communications, said the student loan programme was established to remove financial barriers to higher education—not to create new burdens for beneficiaries.
“The Student Loan Scheme, an initiative of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was established to remove financial barriers to higher education, not to create additional burdens for Nigerian students,” she said.
According to Oluwatuyi, the Fund is engaging affected institutions and relevant authorities to ensure that students who paid their tuition before NELFUND processed their loans receive the refunds due to them.
“NELFUND is working with the affected institutions and relevant authorities to ensure that eligible students are refunded while institutional charges remain fair, transparent, and consistent with the objectives of the scheme,” she added.
The agency said it is also working to ensure that tuition fees and other charges imposed by institutions remain transparent and aligned with the broader goal of expanding access to higher education.
NELFUND reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the interests of students and safeguarding the integrity of the student loan programme, stressing that any action capable of eroding public confidence in the initiative would be addressed.
The student loan scheme, launched in April 2024 under the administration of President Bola Tinubu, was introduced to remove upfront financial barriers and make higher education more accessible to Nigerian students.
The latest warning comes months after NELFUND disclosed that it had uncovered N927.98 million in unpaid student upkeep allowances owed to 11,685 students following a reconciliation exercise for the 2024/2025 academic session.
Speaking at the time, Akintunde Sawyerr, NELFUND Managing Director, attributed the delayed payments to technical and operational issues, including failed transactions, network disruptions, and unverified bank account details.
The Fund has reiterated its commitment to resolving outstanding issues and ensuring that students receive the full benefits of the scheme without unnecessary delays or additional financial hardship.
