The Federal Government has inaugurated a committee to standardise fee payment structures across universities in the country to streamline education financing.
Minister of Education Dr Tunji Alausa announced the development on Wednesday during a meeting with Vice-Chancellors and the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) officials in Abuja.
The committee comprises representatives from NELFUND, the Ministry of Education, the National Universities Commission (NUC), and university management. It has been tasked with developing a unified framework for fee nomenclature and payment schedules across tertiary institutions nationwide.
Dr Alausa noted that while Nigerian universities have received student loan disbursements promptly, notifying students and handling fee components requires better coordination.
Addressing concerns over discrepancies between institutional charges and NELFUND disbursements, the Minister explained that the differences stemmed from varying service charges applied by individual universities.
To resolve this, the committee will develop a transparent framework that details the entire structure of fees, including all mandatory service charges.
“Universities will disclose service charges upfront to avoid misunderstandings in refunded amounts.
Dr Alausa explained that while the current processes were functioning, efforts were underway to improve the existing system. He noted that the goal was to serve NELFUND and Nigerian citizens more effectively, aligning with the current administration’s broader agenda.
One of the committee’s core mandates is to standardise the terminology used for student fees.
Dr Alausa stated that although the actual amounts may vary by institution, using standard terms will help improve transparency and communication between institutions, NELFUND, and students.
“The committee will determine and publish standard timelines for when NELFUND will disburse funds and when universities must notify students,” he said.
The committee has been given three weeks to submit its report. Once submitted, the government will publish the finalised guidelines for standardising fee payments across all tertiary institutions in the country.
Dr Alausa dismissed fraud reports within the education loan scheme, countering earlier speculations raised by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
“There is no fraud in NELFUND,” he said.
Dr Alausa reaffirmed that the government remains committed to a student-focused funding model, which aims to simplify processes and reduce confusion in university billing and loan disbursements.
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