NANS Zone C: NELFUND University Refund Warning for Nigerian Institutions

• NANS Zone C has warned North-Central tertiary institutions against withholding tuition refunds from students who received NELFUND loans after paying their fees.
• The student body also condemned arbitrary and exploitative charges, including excessive late-payment fees and hidden levies, urging institutions to review their fee structures.
• NANS Zone C demands immediate refunds for affected students and insists institutions must not use these funds for administrative convenience.
• The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) is actively investigating 34 institutions for alleged failure to refund students, collaborating with NANS and anti-corruption agencies.
• In July, the national NANS chapter published a list of 39 institutions that had received NELFUND payments but had not yet refunded students.

NANS Zone C has therefore demanded the immediate return of all NELFUND payments that are rightfully due to affected students, stressing that institutions must not frustrate beneficiaries by unnecessarily delaying the repayment of funds.

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Zone C has issued a definitive caution to tertiary institutions operating within Nigeria's North-Central geopolitical zone. This warning specifically targets universities and other higher learning establishments that are reportedly withholding tuition fee refunds from students. These are students who initially paid their fees out-of-pocket before subsequently receiving disbursements from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) to cover the same educational expenses. The student body emphasized that such delays are unacceptable and undermine the very purpose of the federal student loan scheme.

Abiola Babatunde, the Zonal Coordinator for NANS Zone C, articulated the association's deep concern during a recent address in Ilorin. He highlighted that numerous students who benefited from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund had already settled their tuition obligations prior to the loan's disbursement. Despite institutions later receiving payment from NELFUND for these same students, many have reportedly failed to process the corresponding refunds for months, subjecting beneficiaries to undue financial strain. NANS Zone C has therefore demanded the immediate return of all NELFUND payments that are rightfully due to affected students, stressing that institutions must not frustrate beneficiaries by unnecessarily delaying the repayment of funds.

The association further cautioned tertiary institutions against utilizing students' NELFUND refunds for their own administrative convenience or any other internal purpose. NANS Zone C insisted that once a student's tuition obligations have been settled by the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, the institutions are obligated to promptly return the excess funds to the beneficiaries. This firm stance underscores the student body's commitment to ensuring that the NELFUND student loan scheme effectively supports students without creating new financial hurdles.

Beyond the immediate issue of Nigerian Education Loan Fund refunds, NANS Zone C also voiced strong condemnation regarding what it described as arbitrary and exploitative charges imposed by some tertiary institutions. The association urged universities across Kwara, Benue, Niger, Kogi, Plateau, Nasarawa states, and the Federal Capital Territory to undertake a comprehensive review of their existing fee structures. The objective is to abolish any charges that place unnecessary financial pressure on students, thereby ensuring greater equity and accessibility in higher education.

The student body specifically criticized the imposition of excessive late-payment fees, unnecessary levies, and various hidden charges that contribute to the financial burden on students. Babatunde argued that students facing genuine financial hardship, who might struggle to pay school fees by a set deadline, should not be further penalized with inflated payments simply because the deadline has passed. NANS Zone C underscored that every payment made by students should directly translate into corresponding and tangible services, advocating for improved infrastructure and facilities.

This includes the provision of functional lecture halls, well-equipped laboratories, adequate hostel accommodation, accessible healthcare facilities, and reliable access to essential utilities such as water and electricity. The call for a transparent and service-oriented fee structure aims to ensure that students receive value for their money and are not subjected to exploitative practices by their institutions, addressing broader NANS student loan scheme concerns.

The current NANS NELFUND university refund warning Nigeria is set against a backdrop of increasing scrutiny surrounding the implementation of the federal student loan scheme and university compliance. The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) itself had previously issued warnings to institutions, cautioning them against delaying or outright refusing to refund students who had settled their fees before NELFUND subsequently covered the same obligations. This indicates a systemic issue that has been on the radar of key stakeholders for some time, highlighting the need for University tuition refund compliance Nigeria.

Further highlighting the widespread nature of the problem, the national chapter of NANS publicly released a list in July, identifying 39 tertiary institutions. These institutions were cited for having received NELFUND tuition payments on behalf of eligible students but had yet to process refunds for those who had already paid their fees. This public naming serves as a significant pressure point for compliance.

In a related development, NELFUND management has disclosed that it is actively investigating approximately 34 institutions. These NELFUND investigation universities stem from numerous complaints lodged by affected beneficiaries regarding the alleged failure of these schools to refund students. To ensure thoroughness and accountability, NELFUND is collaborating with NANS, its internal auditors, and various anti-corruption agencies on these specific cases, signaling a robust and multi-faceted approach to addressing non-compliance among Nigerian universities.

Nigerian universities and their compliance officers must immediately review NELFUND refund processes and fee structures to ensure compliance, mitigate legal risks from NANS and NELFUND investigations, and avoid potential sanctions.

Source: Original reporting via The PUNCH.