UNICAL Students Raise Concerns Over Delayed NELFUND Refunds
By Inemesit FRIDAY
Students of the University of Calabar who are beneficiaries of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund have expressed concern over delays in the refund of tuition fees to students who paid before the loan disbursement.
The affected students alleged that despite claims by the university management that some beneficiaries had already received refunds, many students were yet to get any payment months after the funds were reportedly released.
According to the students, the development has created confusion and frustration across campus, especially among those who borrowed money or made personal sacrifices to meet tuition deadlines with the expectation of being reimbursed after the loan disbursement.
One student, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said students had created a communication platform where beneficiaries usually confirmed receipt of payments for the awareness of others.
The student claimed that no beneficiary had publicly confirmed receiving any refund despite reports that payments had been made.
“Up till now, nobody has come out to say they have received any refund, yet the school is saying payments have been made,” the student said.
The source also questioned the role of the institution’s NELFUND desk officer, who was reportedly a member of the same communication platform.
“The desk officer is on the platform and sees everything happening there. If truly payments have been made, why has the officer not verified from students or addressed the complaints being raised?” the student queried.
Some students who had not initially paid their tuition fees were also said to be experiencing difficulties accessing or using the disbursed loan funds for payment.
The students further stated that while their individual loan dashboards indicated that funds for the 2025/2026 academic session had been disbursed, the university management had yet to officially acknowledge receipt of the payments.
“We can see on our portals that the money has been disbursed, but the school has not confirmed receiving anything. It is difficult to understand where the problem is coming from,” another student said.
Several affected students said they borrowed money from friends, relatives, and financial institutions to pay their fees early in order to meet course registration deadlines.
“We rushed to pay because of registration deadlines, believing we would be refunded once NELFUND paid. It has been almost a year now and nothing has come. We are still servicing debts,” another student said.
The students also referred to statements allegedly made by the NELFUND desk officer indicating that the university management had already approved the refund process.
“The desk officer told us that management has signed for the refunds. So if that is the case, where is the money?” another student asked.
The development has triggered calls for accountability, with the affected students demanding a transparent investigation into the refund process and the roles played by officials involved.
“We want a thorough investigation into this matter. Anyone found culpable should be held accountable and removed from office. This is money that belongs to students,” one of the students stated.
As of the time of filing this report, the management of the University of Calabar had not issued a detailed response addressing the concerns raised by the students.
