The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has raised alarm over what it described as an “astronomical increase” in tuition fees by several tertiary institutions, with hikes ranging between 20 and 521 per cent, The Guardian has reported. According to a document from NELFUND’s internal risk management unit, the steep increases—especially in programmes such as Medicine, Nursing, and Law—have placed a heavy financial burden on students and are straining the Fund’s loan disbursement operations. Institutions identified include the University of Ilesha, Ekiti State University, the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo, Edo State University, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), and David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences (DUFUHS).

The report detailed shocking fee adjustments, including LAUTECH’s 521 per cent increase in its Medicine and Surgery programme from N126,000 to N782,000, and a 410 per cent hike for Biomedical and Nursing programmes. At the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo, Nursing fees rose by 149 per cent from N900,000 to N2.245 million, while Medicine surged by 70 per cent. Edo State University also raised its Medicine and Surgery tuition by N1 million, bringing the total cost for a six-year medical degree to over N51 million. Similar hikes were recorded in Ekiti State University, the University of Ilesha, and DUFUHS, Ebonyi State, with increases of between 40 and 55 per cent across key programmes.

In response, NELFUND is reportedly considering halting loan disbursements to institutions with excessive increases pending review. The Fund’s report recommended capping loan amounts or suspending loans entirely for schools that raised tuition beyond 100 per cent. It also advised the establishment of national fee guidelines and the publication of updated loan thresholds to prevent abuse. As of September 26, 2025, NELFUND had disbursed over N107.6 billion to 581,878 students nationwide, with N61.3 billion going to institutional fees and N46.3 billion to upkeep allowances.

The development has triggered widespread concern among parents, student groups, and education rights advocates, who say the hikes threaten the goal of equitable access to higher education. The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and the Education Rights Campaign (ERC) described the increases as exploitative, warning that the student loan scheme may turn into a “debt trap” for the poor. While affected institutions defended the hikes as a response to economic realities, NELFUND’s intervention marks a growing tension between universities’ financial autonomy and government efforts to make higher education more affordable.