NELFUND beneficiaries report positive impact, seek improved transparency

Beneficiaries of Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) in Abia and Imo have commended the scheme for easing the financial burdens of tertiary education while urging greater transparency and timely disbursement of students’ upkeep allowances.

Some of the students who spoke with newsmen on Thursday, in Umuahia, noted that the loan had enabled many students to remain in school despite prevailing economic challenges.

The respondents expressed optimism that addressing operational challenges would enable the student loan scheme to achieve its objective of expanding access to higher education for deserving Nigerian students.

Mr. Destiny James, an undergraduate and beneficiary of the scheme, said his loan was approved on Jan. 10 and that he had received a refund after paying his tuition fees.

James, however, said there was a delay in the payment of the monthly ₦20,000 upkeep allowance, noting that several months’ allowances were later paid together.

According to him, the delay made it difficult for some students to purchase textbooks and other academic materials when they needed them.

He urged NELFUND to improve transparency by publishing the status of verified beneficiaries, those who had been paid and the reasons some applicants were yet to receive their funds.

“Students should also be able to track their verification and payment status in real time,” he said.

Another beneficiary, Miss Chidinma Okeke, a 300-level student of a state university, described the loan as a lifeline for students from low-income families.

Okeke said that the scheme relieved her parents of the burden of raising tuition fees and enabled her to concentrate more on her studies.

She, however, appealed to NELFUND to ensure that upkeep allowances were paid promptly to help students meet transportation, feeding and other academic expenses.

Meanwhile, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU) says it had commenced refunding tuition fees to students who paid before receiving support from Federal Government’s Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).

The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Ursula Akanwa, said she had directed the university bursar to immediately commence the refund. Akanwa said that the decision was to ensure that students who made early payments were not denied the benefit of the federal loan scheme.

She explained that many students and parents borrowed money to meet the university’s registration timeline and portal deadline.

“If they had borrowed money from somewhere to pay their fees in order to meet the university’s registration timeline and portal deadline, and parents made arrangements to support their children, those funds have to be repaid. Now that the FG has released the money, it automatically means that money does not belong to the university,” she said.

The VC described NELFUND as a “win-win initiative” that has eased financial pressure on students and parents.
She noted that more than 12,000 MOUAU students have so far benefited from the scheme.

“Nowadays, we no longer have a lot of issues of students not paying fees because we have continued to encourage them to take advantage of NELFUND,” Akanwa added.

Confirming the development, the Head of Public Relations and Protocol, MOUAU, Mr Anyaso Anyaso, said the university had taken steps to ensure prompt refunds.

“MOUAU has taken the first step and is now an exception. The university remains committed to transparency in implementing the students’ loan scheme while delivering on the progress and objectives of the institution,” he said.

NAN