Parents, NANS Propose Measures to Prevent Abuse of Student Loan Scheme

The National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN) and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) have proposed measures to prevent students from collecting tuition fees from their parents and guardians after benefiting from the Federal Government’s Student Loan Scheme.

The practice, described as double-dipping by the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), involves students receiving government-backed loans for their school fees while allegedly continuing to demand tuition payments from their parents or guardians.

The two organisations recommended that NELFUND introduce a notification system to inform parents and guardians whenever their children receive financial support through the scheme.

Speaking with Vanguard, the Chairman of NAPTAN’s Board of Trustees, Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, said the practice defeated the primary objective of establishing the student loan programme.

He explained that the scheme was introduced to ensure that financially disadvantaged students could access higher education without being forced to abandon their studies because of their inability to pay tuition fees.

According to him, notifying parents and guardians whenever NELFUND makes payments on behalf of their children would help prevent possible exploitation and promote transparency.

Ogunbanjo acknowledged that completely eliminating the practice might be difficult, considering the behaviour of some young people, but maintained that proper communication between NELFUND and parents would help address the problem.

Similarly, the National Public Relations Officer of NANS, Comrade Obidah David, supported the proposal, urging NELFUND to send text messages to parents and guardians whenever their children benefit from the scheme.

David noted that students routinely provide their parents’ contact details during registration, making it possible for the fund to communicate directly with them.

He also suggested publishing the names of beneficiaries through traditional and social media platforms to strengthen transparency and accountability in the administration of the programme.

The recommendations followed concerns raised by NELFUND Managing Director, Akintunde Sawyerr, who recently disclosed that the agency had identified cases of students allegedly collecting government-backed loans while continuing to demand school fees from their parents.

Sawyerr described the development as unacceptable, insisting that the fund would introduce measures to end the practice.

He explained that the proposed arrangement would enable parents to confirm whether their children’s tuition fees had been paid through NELFUND without necessarily disclosing the actual amounts involved.

The initiative, according to him, is part of efforts to ensure that parents are not made to shoulder financial responsibilities that have already been covered by the government-backed loan scheme.

The Federal Government established NELFUND to expand access to tertiary education by providing financial assistance to eligible students who might otherwise be unable to afford institutional charges.

Under the arrangement, the fund provides loans to cover approved institutional fees, while upkeep allowances are processed separately to support beneficiaries with their living expenses.

Sawyerr further disclosed that NELFUND was intensifying stakeholder engagement to educate students, parents and tertiary institutions about the loan application and payment processes.

He explained that the exercise would go beyond ordinary public awareness campaigns, focusing instead on educating stakeholders about changes introduced to improve the administration of the scheme and eliminate misunderstandings.

According to him, workshops would be organised to clarify issues surrounding institutional payments, upkeep allowances and the documentation required from beneficiaries.

Meanwhile, NELFUND’s Executive Director, Mustapha Iyal, provided further clarification on the fund’s payment structure, explaining that institutional payments were processed using students’ application identification numbers and wallet numbers rather than conventional bank account numbers.

He said the system was designed to minimise intermediaries and ensure that institutional fees were processed through the fund’s established payment channels.

The proposed measures are expected to strengthen accountability, prevent financial exploitation and ensure that the Student Loan Scheme achieves its primary objective of removing financial barriers to higher education in Nigeria.

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