CALABAR, CROSS RIVER– The management of the University of Calabar (UNICAL) under the leadership of Prof. Offiong E. Offiong has lastly bowed to severe pressure by introducing an online website to refund institutional costs to trainees under the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) scheme.
Nevertheless, what was suggested to be a success for the student body has actually quickly liquified into widespread anger following the management’s introduction of a necessary 5,000 processing charge to access the refunds.
The choice impacts trainees from the 2023/2024, 2024/2025, and present 2025/2026 academic sessions.
Read Likewise: UNICAL secures complete NUC accreditation for 7 key academic programmes.
For many years, the institution had delayed returning excess school charges to recipients whose tuition costs were paid two times, when out-of-pocket by parents and consequently by NELFUND’s direct bank dispensations.
Screenshot from among the organization’s trainees’online neighborhoods on Facebook Social Media Project Forces Management’s Hand The policy shift comes after an intense, multi-week social networks project led by impacted undergrads and recent UNICAL graduates.
Left with countless naira in unrefunded balances, the frustrated youths took to different digital platforms to accuse the university administration of purposefully withholding their funds.
Behind the scenes, the structural structure for the administration of the fund had been moving. Under the auspices of the 11th substantive Vice-Chancellor, Professor Florence Banku Obi, the university had actually approved the visit of Mrs Elizabeth Otu Effiwatt as the brand-new UNICAL NELFUND Desk Officer, taking effect on January 14, 2025. Following that consultation, on January 22, 2025, a tactical stakeholders’ meeting was convened at the office of Teacher Anthony Eyang, the erstwhile Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics).
The conference, which brought together student union leaders and NELFUND administrators, at first mandated that affected students ought to by hand submit their account information at the physical desk workplace for processing.
< img data-src=" https://edugist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/NELFUND.jpg "alt="UNICAL opens NELFUND refund portal, stimulates outrage over processing charge"width="910"height="325" src="
image/svg+xml; base64, PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==”/ > A cross-section of students representatives, NELFUND administrators and the erstwhile DVC Academics, Prof. Anthony Eyang Digital Website Triggered with an Expensive Catch In an unforeseen twist on Monday, June 8, 2026, the university administration formally bypassed the manual application path by activating a digital 
refund portal. The form the student filled and sent at the NELFUND desk workplace in January, 2025 While the automation was invited, students logging into the system were shocked to discover that they should pay a non-refundable 5,000 levy before their refund application can be evaluated or sent. Screenshot from the portal
refund portal. The form the student filled and sent at the NELFUND desk workplace in January, 2025 While the automation was invited, students logging into the system were shocked to discover that they should pay a non-refundable 5,000 levy before their refund application can be evaluated or sent. Screenshot from the portal
The monetary requirement has actually ignited an intense argument throughout the campus, with students questioning the reasoning of paying a surcharge to recuperate a loan that they will become legally needed to pay back to the Federal Government with interest.
The student community and most specifically victims of this outrageous charge have actually slammed the processing fee as predatory and exploitative, arguing that it positions an unneeded financial difficulty before struggling trainees and cash-strapped graduates.
The university management has yet to launch an official counter-statement defending the administrative levy.
With the Student Union Federal government presently under intense pressure from the student body to reject the website’s terms, a fresh standoff looms between the trainee populace and Teacher Offiong E. Offiong if the questionable cost is not evaluated down or scrapped entirely.
ABOUT NELFUND
Student Loan Initiative is a flagship effort supervised by Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) and the Federal Ministry of Education.
Its primary purpose is supply assistance and resources to Tertiary trainees through financial, technical and capacity-building interventions.
The programme operates through a clearly specified application process that includes online registration, confirmation and monitoring components. Candidates are generally needed to provide digital documents, satisfy eligibility requirements set by the administering agency, and comply with reporting and repayment guidelines where applicable.
The program’s design stresses transparency, measurable results and linkage to other support services such as training, market access and technical assistance.
Recipients generally access to financial or technical inputs, and the plan includes tracking and examination systems to determine effect and make sure funds reach desired receivers.
The initiative is typically complemented by partner organizations and economic sector stars to scale impact.