The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has dismissed reports suggesting that the Federal government has halted the payment of students’ maintenance allowances under the national student loan programme, firmly insisting that beneficiaries will continue to receive support as arranged.
Responding to claims distributing throughout social networks and digital platforms, the agency described the reports as incorrect, manipulated, and aimed at misleading students and members of the public.
In a declaration issued by its Director of Strategic Communications, Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, NELFUND said neither the Federal government nor the firm had announced any suspension of maintenance payments tied to the student loan effort.
According to the fund, some of the misleading material presently in flow includes fabricated statements wrongly linked to NELFUND in addition to a doctored paper front page supposedly credited to The Nigerian Tribune.
The agency kept that the products did not originate from its official communication channels or any identified government source.
NELFUND advised trainees, moms and dads, and stakeholders to neglect the reports, alerting that the spread of incorrect details could generate needless anxiety among loan beneficiaries and undermine public trust in the plan.
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The fund reiterated its dedication to keeping transparent operations and sustaining the disbursement of both institutional fees and student upkeep allowances in line with its mandate to expand access to higher education financing.
It even more encouraged the public to confirm any info concerning the loan program through its main communication outlets and confirmed social media manages before sharing or acting upon such claims.
The company warned versus reliance on unverified online material, stressing that misinformation has the potential to develop confusion within the education sector and amongst households depending on the programme.
NELFUND kept in mind that the trainee loan initiative remains a crucial intervention designed to ease the monetary concern dealing with trainees in public tertiary organizations, especially those fighting with tuition expenses and everyday academic expenditures.
Considering that the launch of the scheme, the fund has disbursed more than N206 billion to support over 1.6 million students across tertiary organizations across the country.
The student loan application portal officially opened on Might 24, 2024, following the facility of the fund under the Trainee Loans Act enacted by the Federal Government.
The program supplies eligible students in public higher institutions with financial support for tuition and upkeep, while payment commitments are postponed until after graduation and gainful work.
Through this structure, the federal government intends to enhance educational access without placing instant monetary payment pressure on trainees throughout their studies.