Parents and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) have offered recommendations on how to prevent abuse of the Federal Government’s student loan scheme, particularly cases where beneficiaries allegedly collect financial support from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) while still requesting tuition payments from their parents.
The recommendations come amid renewed efforts by NELFUND to strengthen accountability, improve transparency and prevent students from receiving financial support from multiple sources for the same educational expenses.
NELFUND Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Akintunde Sawyerr, recently raised concerns about the practice, describing it as double-dipping.
Speaking during a press briefing in Abuja, Sawyerr said the Fund had identified cases of students benefiting from the loan scheme while continuing to put pressure on their parents to pay their school fees.
He said NELFUND was determined to address the situation and announced plans to introduce a mechanism that would allow parents to verify whether their children’s tuition fees had been paid through the scheme.
One of the proposed measures is a parental verification portal through which parents can use their children’s matriculation numbers to confirm tuition payment status without necessarily accessing sensitive financial details.
The Fund is also piloting a token-based payment arrangement designed to give students the authority to approve tuition payments directly to their respective institutions rather than having the money transferred into their personal bank accounts.
Under the proposed arrangement, beneficiaries would receive notifications when their approved fees are ready for payment and authorise the transactions through their mobile phones.
The National Association of Nigerian Students has welcomed the token payment initiative, describing it as a positive development for transparency, accountability and efficiency in the administration of student loans.
NANS Public Relations Officer, David Obidah, said the system could help address duplicate payments, improve confirmation of tuition transactions and protect students from administrative failures by participating institutions.
He also called for effective implementation, urging tertiary institutions to reconcile payments promptly, update their student portals and resolve discrepancies without unnecessary delays.
The association further emphasised the importance of transparent and traceable refund procedures to ensure that money reaches the rightful beneficiaries when refunds become necessary.
Parents, meanwhile, are encouraged to verify tuition payment status through official institutional channels before making additional payments. They should also request evidence of NELFUND disbursements and maintain records of tuition transactions to prevent disputes.
Students are equally expected to communicate honestly with their parents and institutions about their loan applications, approvals and payment status. Beneficiaries should avoid collecting money from their parents for tuition already covered by NELFUND.
The proposed reforms are intended to strengthen public confidence in the Federal Government’s student loan programme, which was established to reduce financial barriers to higher education and expand access to tertiary institutions.
However, the success of the measures will depend on cooperation among NELFUND, students, parents and tertiary institutions, as well as timely communication and accurate payment records.
As the scheme expands, stakeholders say transparency and responsible management of public funds will remain essential to ensuring that financial assistance reaches students who genuinely need it without exposing parents to unnecessary financial burdens.
Parents and NANS have highlighted measures to prevent double-dipping in Nigeria’s student loan scheme as NELFUND moves to strengthen transparency and verify tuition payments.