NELFUND: Students Decry Delays, Resort To Personal Payments

As the National Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) disbursements stall in some universities, students face increasing challenges in meeting their tuition fee obligations.

The delay in processing refunds has caused particular anxiety among final-year students. Many have already paid their fees from personal funds and are unsure if or when they will be reimbursed.

Students who receive the NELFUND monthly upkeep of N20,000 are also finding it difficult to balance their living expenses and tuition payments, as the upkeep funds are insufficient to cover both.
The delay in disbursement has created a financial strain, disrupting academic plans and adding to the stress of an already demanding final year.

At Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University (JOSTUM) Makurdi, students have received the N20,000 stipend since December 2024. Still, the university has not provided updates regarding the delay in the disbursement of the main school fees.

Despite the government’s disbursement of N136.7 million to the university, covering the tuition fees of 2,222 students, the school has not yet released the funds.

This has left students struggling to find alternative ways to cover their tuition.

LEADERSHIP gathered that the university resumed in January 2025, but there were no updates on whether NELFUND beneficiaries should hold off on paying fees or proceed with registration.

Fearing late registration, students, including final-year ones, paid their school fees out of pocket.

As a result, their names are on the NELFUND beneficiary portal, but they have not received the corresponding tuition coverage, only the N20,000 monthly upkeep.

One final-year student of Microbiology, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed concern over what would happen to students who paid their fees themselves.

“I have only one semester to graduate and have already paid my school fees for this semester. I don’t know what the school plans to do.

“It’s like we’re already owing the government for money we didn’t benefit from. Are they going to refund what we’ve paid after graduation?

“I paid over ₦52,000 this semester and have received the monthly allowance of ₦20,000 for over two months. I hope the school clarifies the situation,” he said.

Another student, Elijah, also expressed frustration, asking, “Some of us have already made the payment, so are we going to get our money back? We’re still waiting for the refund from the school.”

LEADERSHIP also gathered that students from other institutions, including the University of Nigeria Nsukka and Obafemi Awolowo University, have similarly lamented the inability to pay their school fees despite approvals.

However, Comrade Elum Shadrach, Public Relations Officer of the Students’ Union at Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, assured me that the union is working closely with management to resolve the issue.

“We have confirmed with the school management that the funds for school fees have been received. However, the management is currently working on connecting our school account with Remita so that these funds can be reflected,” he stated.

NELFUND is a government initiative established to provide interest-free loans to Nigerian students pursuing higher education.

The repayment begins two years after completing the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), providing graduates with a grace period to secure employment and stabilise financially.