Student loans: Ministry warns parents against paying double tuition

A representative from the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Dr Helen Nsirim, has warned parents not to make double payments of tuition fees for their children in undergraduate programmes.

Nsirim, who serves as the Information and Public Relations Officer at the Federal Information Centre, Port Harcourt, made this statement during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Friday.

She advised parents to verify whether their children are listed as beneficiaries of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund before making tuition payments to avoid being exploited by their wards.

According to her, investigations have revealed that some students who accessed the NELFUND loan deliberately withheld the information from their parents to collect additional tuition fees from them.

“This is a wrong approach, especially in these difficult times when many parents are struggling financially.”

“The Federal Government established the loan scheme to ease the burden of tuition on both parents and students,” she said.

Nsirim encouraged NELFUND to increase transparency by making the list of loan recipients publicly available each year, through universities, national newspapers, and its official social media platforms.

She clarified that this initiative would enable parents to confirm the loan status of their children and avoid unnecessary financial hardship.

She also stated that the student loan organisation holds the responsibility of conducting adequate public awareness campaigns.

Nsirim noted that although the National Orientation Agency (NOA) had played an active role in educating the public, parents themselves needed to take initiative.

She also advised parents to stay updated on student loan schemes and consider all possible options to reduce their financial stress.

“Instead of spending time on social media following trends and gossip, parents should check what NELFUND is doing and encourage their children to apply if eligible,” she said.

NAN reports that NELFUND was created to provide financial assistance through loans to Nigerian students in tertiary institutions, with the goal of improving access to higher education.