The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has condemned what it described as unethical practices by some tertiary institutions, accusing them of delaying or refusing to refund students whose tuition fees had already been settled before the agency released education loan payments.
In a public notice issued on Monday in Abuja, NELFUND also expressed concern over reports that some institutions have introduced arbitrary increases in tuition and other institutional charges, actions it said undermine the objectives of the Federal Government’s student loan programme.
According to the agency, the Student Loan Scheme was created under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to eliminate financial barriers to higher education, not to impose additional financial burdens on students.
NELFUND Disburses ₦28.7 Million to Sule Lamido University
NELFUND stated that it is currently engaging the affected tertiary institutions and relevant authorities to address the reported issues.
The agency said the discussions are aimed at ensuring that eligible students receive refunds where appropriate and that institutional charges remain fair, transparent, and consistent with the goals of the education loan initiative.
The fund reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the interests of Nigerian students and safeguarding the integrity of the student loan programme, which it described as a landmark national intervention designed to expand access to higher education.
The statement was signed by Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, Director of Strategic Communications at the Nigerian Education Loan Fund.
