The Nigerian Education Loan Fund has warned universities and other tertiary schools to stop holding back tuition refunds and to end sudden increases in school charges.
In a statement on Sunday signed by its Director of Strategic Communications, Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, NELFUND said it was alarmed by reports that some institutions are refusing to pay back students who had already cleared their fees before their loan money arrived.
The Fund explained that the Student Loan Scheme was created by President Bola Tinubu’s administration to ease the cost of higher education, not to add more pressure on students and their families.
“Some schools are delaying or refusing to refund students whose tuition was paid before NELFUND disbursements. We are also seeing arbitrary hikes in tuition and other charges,” the statement said. “This runs against the purpose of the scheme.”
NELFUND added that it is already speaking with the affected schools and relevant authorities to make sure students get the money owed to them. It also said it will push for school fees to stay fair, clear, and in line with the goals of the loan programme.
The agency stressed that it will protect students’ interests and defend the credibility of what it called a major national education intervention.
The loan scheme has so far disbursed over ₦206 billion to more than 1.1 million students, according to NELFUND’s recent records.