NELFUND condemns institutions withholding students’ tuition refunds, arbitrary fee hikes
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 paid before the agency disbursed education loans.
In a statement on Monday, Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, NELFUND director of strategic communications, said the agency is worried over arbitrary increases in tuition and other institutional charges by some institutions, warning that such actions undermine the objectives of the federal government’s student loan scheme.
Oseyemi said the fund had received reports of affected students and is taking steps to address the situation.
“The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has noted with concern reports of some tertiary institutions delaying or refusing to refund students whose tuition fees had already been paid before NELFUND disbursements, as well as arbitrary increases in tuition and other institutional charges,” the statement reads.
She noted that the student loan scheme, introduced under the administration of President Bola Tinubu, was established to remove financial barriers to higher education and should not become an avenue for imposing additional burdens on students.
According to her, NELFUND is engaging the affected institutions and relevant authorities to ensure that eligible students receive refunds where due and that institutional charges remain fair and transparent.
She reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to safeguarding the interests of students and maintaining the integrity of the student loan scheme, describing it as a landmark national intervention.
