NANS Warns Varsities Against Withholding NELFUND Refunds

The National Association of Nigerian Students has warned universities against withholding refunds owed to students whose tuition and related institutional charges have been covered by the Nigeria Education Loan Fund.

The student body said institutions must ensure that students who had already paid their fees before receiving NELFUND support are refunded promptly where the fund subsequently settles their approved charges.

The warning followed complaints from students over delays and difficulties in accessing refunds after NELFUND payments were made to their institutions.

NANS stressed that universities should not retain money belonging to students or use administrative procedures to frustrate the refund process.

The organisation urged university authorities to establish clear and transparent procedures for identifying students whose fees had been paid twice through personal funds and NELFUND intervention.

It also called on institutions to provide accurate records showing payments received from the students and amounts subsequently remitted by NELFUND.

According to the student body, any difference between a student’s approved NELFUND payment and the actual institutional charges should be properly accounted for, while eligible balances should be returned to the affected students.

NANS further urged students experiencing difficulties with refunds to document their payments and communicate formally with their institutions before escalating unresolved cases to the appropriate authorities.

The association warned that withholding students’ money could worsen financial pressure on young Nigerians already struggling with rising living costs, transportation expenses, accommodation and other educational needs.

NELFUND was established to provide financial assistance to eligible Nigerian students and has expanded access to education financing through its student-loan programme.

The scheme is designed to support students who may otherwise struggle to meet the cost of tertiary education.

NANS said the success of the programme depends not only on disbursing funds but also on ensuring that institutions properly account for money received on behalf of students.

The association therefore called for greater transparency from university managements and urged relevant authorities to monitor compliance with refund obligations.

It maintained that students should not suffer financial losses because of delays or administrative shortcomings between their institutions and NELFUND.

The warning is expected to increase pressure on universities to resolve outstanding refund cases and provide students with clear information about the status of their payments.

NANS said students must be treated fairly throughout the process and that institutions should ensure that all funds received on their behalf are properly applied or refunded where necessary.