The University of Calabar (UNICAL) has responded to claims by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) after the association listed the institution among schools yet to refund students under the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
NANS had accused several tertiary institutions of holding on to money belonging to students who paid their tuition fees before NELFUND later paid the same fees directly to their schools.
UNICAL was one of the institutions named. See the full list of schools named by NANS
But the university says the allegation is not true.
The Claim Does Not Reflect What Is Happening
Reacting to the report, the university’s NELFUND Desk Officer, Mrs. Elizabeth Otu Effiwatt, said students have been receiving their refunds and that the process has not stopped.
According to her, the university has already completed nine batches of refund payments, with 1,089 students receiving their money.
She said the figures clearly show that the institution is processing refunds and not withholding students’ funds as claimed.
More Than 3,000 Students Have Benefited
The university also gave more details about the NELFUND programme at UNICAL.
Mrs. Effiwatt said more than 3,000 students have already used the student loan to pay their school fees.
She added that the institution has received ₦979,891,400 from NELFUND for students across different departments.
The university believes these figures show that the scheme is active and that efforts are being made to ensure eligible students get their refunds.
New Online Portal Introduced
UNICAL also announced that it has introduced a new online refund portal to speed up the process.
According to the university, the portal is managed by its Directorate of ICT and was created after officials reviewed some of the challenges experienced with the manual system.
The new platform is expected to reduce delays and make it easier for students to submit their refund requests.
So far, the university said it has received 2,090 refund applications through the portal.
Those applications are currently being processed.
Why NANS Published the List
NANS recently released a list of institutions it claimed had not refunded students after receiving tuition payments from NELFUND.
The association said the publication was meant to promote transparency and ensure that affected students receive their money without unnecessary delay.
The list sparked reactions from students across the country, especially those who had paid their fees before NELFUND later settled the same tuition with their institutions.
UNICAL Appeals to Students
The university has asked students and members of the public to ignore reports suggesting it has refused to pay refunds.
Management insisted that the refund process is ongoing and promised that every eligible student would receive payment after due verification.
Students who have already submitted their applications have also been advised to remain patient while the remaining batches are processed.
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