NELFUND Moves to Let Parents Check If Children’s School Fees Have Been Paid
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has announced plans to introduce a verification portal that will allow parents to confirm whether their children’s tuition fees have been paid through the Federal Government’s student loan scheme.
The initiative is aimed at preventing situations where students receive financial support from NELFUND but continue to collect school fees from their parents without disclosing that their tuition has already been covered.
According to reports by The Punch, The Guardian and Vanguard, NELFUND Managing Director, Akintunde Sawyerr, disclosed the plan during a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, October 28, 2026.
Sawyerr explained that parents would be able to use their children’s matriculation numbers to check their tuition payment status through the proposed platform.
The portal is expected to display whether the fees have been paid or remain outstanding, without revealing the actual amount involved or other sensitive financial information.
“We are going to put an end to that,” Sawyerr said, referring to cases where students allegedly benefit from the loan scheme while still relying on their parents to pay their tuition.
NELFUND Introduces New Payment System
The planned verification portal comes as the fund pilots a digital, token-based payment system designed to improve transparency and prevent double payment of school fees.
Under the proposed arrangement, students will be able to authorise approved tuition payments through their phones, with the funds transferred directly to their respective institutions rather than being made available as cash in their personal bank accounts.
NELFUND Executive Director, Mustapha Iyal, disclosed that the pilot payment system covered about 400,000 applications at the time of the briefing.
Reports by BusinessDay and The Punch also highlighted how the new system is expected to reduce payment confusion and refund complications when students pay their fees without knowing that NELFUND has already settled the bills.
Parents and Students to Receive More Guidance
Sawyerr further announced plans to organise workshops across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones to educate students, parents and tertiary institutions about the revised payment procedures.
The sessions are expected to address issues surrounding tuition payments, upkeep allowances, application processing and the documentation required by beneficiaries.
The development forms part of broader efforts to strengthen accountability and improve the administration of the Federal Government’s student loan programme.
While the proposed portal is expected to give parents greater clarity about their children’s tuition status, NELFUND has not announced a specific launch date for the platform.
The big question is: Will the new verification system end cases of students allegedly collecting school fees from their parents after NELFUND has already paid their tuition?
Sources: The Punch, The Guardian, Vanguard and BusinessDay.
