Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has condemned what it described as unethical practices by some tertiary institutions, including delaying or refusing to refund students whose tuition fees had already been paid before the disbursement of NELFUND loans, as well as arbitrary increases in tuition and other institutional charges.
In a statement issued on Monday in Abuja by its Director of Strategic Communications, Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, NELFUND expressed concern over reports that some institutions were undermining the objectives of the Student Loan Scheme.
According to the Fund, the Student Loan Scheme, an initiative of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, was established to eliminate financial barriers to higher education, not to impose additional financial burdens on Nigerian students.
NELFUND disclosed that it is already engaging the affected institutions and relevant authorities to ensure that eligible students receive due refunds where applicable and that tuition and other institutional charges remain fair, transparent and consistent with the objectives of the scheme.
“NELFUND remains committed to protecting the interests of students and preserving the integrity of this landmark national intervention,” the statement said.
