NELFUND urges UNILAG to refund students’ fees

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has called on the University of Lagos (UNILAG) to refund fees paid by students who have received financial support from the Fund.

This appeal was made by the Managing Director of NELFUND, Mr Akintunde Sawyerr, during an engagement with students of the institution.

The move is intended to address concerns raised by students who had paid their tuition before NELFUND disbursed their loan payments to the university.

NELFUND reiterated the agreement with tertiary institutions not to deny students access to academic activities due to non-payment of fees, particularly those who have applied for and are undergoing verification under the loan scheme.

The Fund stressed the need for continued awareness campaigns on campuses to encourage greater student participation. It also reminded student beneficiaries who plan to relocate abroad of their obligation to repay the loan by the terms.

UNILAG Vice-Chancellor, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, disclosed that refunds had already been issued to some students, while others would be processed upon the provision of accurate banking details. She explained that the discrepancies arose from a misalignment between NELFUND’s disbursement schedule and the university’s academic calendar.

Providing an update on the scheme, NELFUND’s Head of IT, Mr Wale Ogunleye, stated that 7,112 UNILAG students had registered for the loan, 5,566 had been approved, and disbursements had been made to 4,636 beneficiaries. The university commended the initiative, describing the interest-free loan as a transformative step towards broadening access to quality education.

Ifeoma Nwovu