NELFUND says student loan is voluntary, after Enugu college makes it compulsory
- NELFUND says no student is obliged to take the loan and it is meant only for those who need it.
- The clarification follows a memo from Enugu State College of Education (Technical) making the loan compulsory.
- The memo, dated 6 October 2026, told all NCE and degree students to apply for the 2026/2027 session.
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has said students are not required to take its loan, insisting the scheme is a support option and not an obligation.
The fund said this in a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday and signed by its Director of Strategic Communications, Mrs Oseyemi Oluwatuyi.
NELFUND said the decision to apply should rest on a student's own financial situation. Students who do not need help, it said, are under no obligation to apply or take the money.
The statement comes after a memo from the Enugu State College of Education (Technical), ESCET, made applying for the loan compulsory for its students.
What the Enugu college memo said
According to reports, the memo is dated 6 October 2026 and signed by the Acting Registrar, Patrick A. Aneke.
It directed all fresh and continuing students in the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) and degree programmes to visit the office of the college's NELFUND Desk Officer, Dr Rufina Agu, and apply for the 2026/2027 academic session.
Deans, directors, heads of departments and the Student Union Government were told to pass the message on. Reports said students who did not comply faced threats of being barred from exams or forced to drop out.
NELFUND did not name the college in its statement, but said making the loan compulsory for everyone would defeat the scheme's purpose.
Why this matters to students
The loan is interest-free, but it is still money that must be paid back under the Student Loans Act. For a student who can afford school fees, taking it means carrying a debt they did not need.
NELFUND said its aim is not to get every student to borrow, but to make sure no eligible student is shut out of school because of money.
It urged students to read the terms and conditions before applying, and asked schools, student leaders and other stakeholders to give accurate information and guide students properly.
For students at ESCET, the practical question is whether the college will stand by its memo or follow NELFUND's position. The fund has restated that financial hardship should not stop any Nigerian from continuing their education.
