Why Freshers Can’t Get NELFUND Fee Payment Before Registration

The Managing Director of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), Akintunde Sawyerr, has explained why the Fund cannot pay school fees for newly admitted students before they complete their registration and receive their matriculation numbers. He said early payment poses major financial risks to the government and could lead to widespread misuse of the loan system.

Speaking in Abuja during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Sawyerr said the Fund must verify that each student is fully enrolled before releasing government funds to any institution.

Why NELFUND Will Not Pay Fees Before Registration

Sawyerr noted that many students with provisional admission do not eventually register. Some secure admission elsewhere, change their minds, defer their studies, switch courses, or even travel abroad. Paying fees before confirming registration would result in the loss of public funds.

He stated that paying fees for students who have not completed registration would mean disbursing money to individuals who may not attend the institution.

He said, “If we pay fees for students that have not entered, what if they changed their minds and they do not go to the schools anymore? We cannot just say because somebody has been admitted, we will pay the fees before registering or matriculating.”

He emphasized that this type of payment would amount to disbursing against intention and could expose the system to fraud.

Key Issues Affecting Early Payment

Below is a simple explanation of the major issues involved.

Issue	Explanation	Impact on Students
Registration not completed	Some freshers abandon their admission or change institutions	Government risks losing money
Need for matriculation number	Schools only issue matric numbers after registration	Students cannot access the loan immediately
Multiple admissions	Some students gain admission into more than one institution	NELFUND cannot confirm final choice
Old 2023 Act restrictions	Guarantor requirement and unrealistic income limits	Many students were excluded from the loan
No upkeep allowance	The old law focused only on tuition fees	Students lacked support for feeding and transportation

Why the Matriculation Number Is Required

The matriculation number is the official confirmation that a student has fully registered and is recognized by the institution. Most schools issue matric numbers only after the student has completed physical registration and paid acceptance fees.

This creates a challenge for freshers who depend on the loan to begin registration. They cannot register without funds, and they cannot get funds without a matriculation number.

To solve this, NELFUND is working with institutions to temporarily allow new students to begin the loan process using their Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) registration numbers until their matriculation numbers are ready.

Sawyerr said that discussions with schools are ongoing to identify verified candidates who can use their JAMB numbers as a temporary alternative.

How the New Education Loan Act Resolved Earlier Problems

The original Education Loan Act signed in June 2023 had several challenges, including:

1. A guarantor requirement that made the process difficult for many students
2. A household income limit of N500,000 per year, which excluded many Nigerian families
3. Lack of provision for upkeep or living expenses

Because of these restrictions, millions of eligible students could not apply for the loan.

Sawyerr explained that President Bola Tinubu directed that the law be repealed and replaced. The new Education Loan Act, launched in May 2024, removed these barriers and expanded access for students across the country.

The updated Act now:

• Removes the guarantor requirement
• Eliminates the unrealistic income cap
• Provides stipends for student maintenance
• Allows more students to qualify for financial support

NELFUND Portal Performance So Far

Despite the high number of applicants, Sawyerr said the NELFUND portal has performed better than expected and has remained stable. He confirmed that the system has not crashed since operations began, even though the demand has been much higher than projected.

What Fresh Students Should Do Now

Freshers are advised to:

1. Complete their school registration as soon as possible to obtain a matriculation number.
2. Monitor communications from their institutions regarding the temporary use of JAMB registration numbers.
3. Ensure all admission documents are correct and available for verification.
4. Follow official NELFUND announcements for updates.
5. Confirm that their information on the JAMB and school portals is accurate to avoid delays.

Conclusion

NELFUND’s decision not to pay freshers’ school fees before registration is based on financial safety, verification challenges, and the need to ensure that only fully enrolled students receive government funding. Although this has caused some delays, ongoing collaboration between NELFUND and tertiary institutions will soon make the loan process easier. With the new Education Loan Act now in effect, access to funding is expected to become more efficient, secure, and beneficial to Nigerian students.