By Babatunde Emmanuel and Motolani Olufemi

While the delay in the disbursement of NELFUND monthly upkeep has become the most prominent concern among students across the country, following reports of silence from the loan body and alleged technical glitches as disclosed by the NANS President, another issue has quietly faded from public discussion: NELFUND refunds.

For many University of Ibadan students, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has provided much needed financial support since the increase in school fees. However, for students who paid their fees before receiving loan disbursements, obtaining refunds from the university has become a source of frustration and uncertainty.

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Although some students report receiving their refunds within a few weeks, others say they have waited for months, and in some cases over a session, with little communication about the status of their applications. As a result of this, many affected students are left in the cycle of hope and ‘periodic’ waiting.

Bolodeoku Promise, a 400 level student in the Faculty of Education, shared her experience with the NELFUND refund process.

She described the experience as discouraging and far from pleasant.

“Personally, my current experience with the NELFUND refund has led to a major setback in my personal plans because, as a final year student, I really need the money to put certain things in place,”  she said.

“Having paid my school fees before NELFUND disbursed the loan, I felt that applying for a refund would be easy. But looking at the way things are, I do not even know when they will refund me. Being in my final year, I do not know if I will get it before I graduate.” 

She further described the situation as a burden.

“This session, I had to go to the Bursary to submit a refund letter, but on getting there, I was told a refund link, which is not yet available, would be provided, and I would be notified when it is.” 

According to her, no specific timeframe was given for the refund process.

Suggesting possible improvements, she said that the university should establish a clear and transparent refund process.

“This would help students know the specific timeline for refund disbursement and the exact application window for affected students.” 

She also called for the creation of an official help desk where students can submit complaints and receive updates on their applications on time.

Also speaking with IndyPress was Adetola from the Faculty of Technology, who described his experience as equally frustrating.

“I was supposed to receive a refund of 90,000 naira: 40,000 naira for the utility and technology levy I paid myself, and 50,000 naira for the studio fee. I was only able to receive 40,000 naira. The portal kept showing 40,000 naira, which was wrong. The portal was meant to be improved because it was under maintenance for a week or two, yet it still did not show the correct amount.” 

He added that the delay compounded the problem.

“Waiting three to four months for 40,000 naira is a very long time for a refund.” 

He explained that after seeking clarification, he was directed to the NELFUND office, where he was repeatedly advised to keep checking the portal.

“After a month, I went back and was told that the faculty president would update us. Then today, the president shared a Google form in the group for students to fill regarding the studio fee NELFUND refund.” 

Summing up his experience, he said:

“All in all, it has not been too good. Refunds should not take months, and now we are still waiting to know when the rest will be processed.” 

He noted that he has been dealing with the issue since the previous session and believes the refund platform should be made fully functional.

Another student, who requested anonymity, said he eventually abandoned the process altogether.

“My refund attempts were not successful, which is why I gave up trying.” 

Describing the experience, he said: “Honestly, the whole experience has been disappointing.” 

According to him, a refund application was submitted at the end of the first semester of the 2024/2025 academic session after he was informed that the process typically took about two weeks.

“The appropriate steps were followed. A letter was written and submitted to the Bursary Unit under the Student Affairs Division. Yet here we are, at the close of the first semester of the 2025/2026 session, and the refund has not come through.” 

He questioned suggestions that students must repeatedly visit offices before their applications are processed. “A properly submitted application should not require multiple visits to be processed. One submission ought to be sufficient.” 

Despite these complaints, not all students reported lengthy delays.

Gabriel Adegbesin, who also applied for a NELFUND refund, said his experience was comparatively smoother.

“I have not experienced a long term wait for the disbursement of my refund, but I have heard of such situations many times.” 

He noted that while NELFUND disbursements appear to reach student portals relatively quickly, the refund process itself often takes longer.

“There are cases of individuals who are still yet to be refunded. I guess this is due to the large number of submitted applications, and it may take a long time to sort them all out.” 

Sharing his own experience, he said he received his refund after one month and thirteen days.

He also revealed that a digital platform introduced last year to simplify refund applications has not yet been activated this session.

When asked why his refund arrived earlier than others, he said he could not identify any particular reason.

“A friend of mine who applied before I did was not credited even when I had already received mine.” 

Beyond the individual experiences gathered by IndyPress, a survey conducted among students paints a similar picture.

Although many students were reluctant to speak openly about their experiences with the refund process, responses collected by IndyPress reveal that delays remain common. Nearly half of the respondents said they had not received their NELFUND refund at the time of the survey, while those who had were mostly refunded after waiting between one and two months. A smaller number reported even longer waiting periods.

The findings reinforce a pattern reflected in the experiences shared by students interviewed for this report.

Student Union Responds

Speaking with the Student Union President, Deboye Temidayo, he noted that the refund application process for the current session is yet to commence.

“NELFUND refund for this session has not started yet. Once we have further information from the university management in relation to the NELFUND unit, we will properly communicate it to the student community.” 

Efforts to obtain his comments on delays affecting students who applied in previous sessions but are yet to receive refunds proved unsuccessful, as no response had been provided as of press time.

Similarly, efforts to obtain comments from the university bursary unit on the delay in NELFUND refund disbursement were unsuccessful. Letter submitted, follow up emails, and messages sent had not received responses as of the time of filing this report.

For many affected students, the issue extends beyond delayed payments. It is about certainty, planning, and confidence in a process designed to ease the financial burden of higher education. Until clearer timelines and communication channels are established, many students will continue waiting and wondering when their refunds will finally arrive.

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