No fewer than 3,100 indigent students of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi, have benefited from the Federal Government’s Student Loan Scheme, designed to support education financing for underprivileged students.

Fahad Abdullahi, the President of the Students Union Government (SUG) at ATBU, disclosed this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Bauchi on Tuesday. He revealed that the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) disbursed ₦256 million to cover tuition fees for approximately 3,300 students at the institution.

Abdullahi highlighted challenges faced during the application process, including the absence of some banks on the application portal, issues with students’ JAMB admission numbers, and the inability to edit applications once submitted. However, he noted that efforts are underway to improve the process, with NELFUND promising to introduce new features on its portal.

Additionally, the Federal Government recently disbursed monthly upkeep allowances of ₦20,000 to beneficiaries, further alleviating students’ financial stress.

One of the beneficiaries, Adetoye Olubunmi, praised the scheme for providing opportunities to pursue higher education and encouraging academic excellence. She said:

“The scheme allows students to apply for institutional loans for tuition and upkeep allowances. While the removal of education subsidies is concerning, this initiative is a positive step toward education development.”

Mohammed Hassan, another student, attributed low participation in the scheme to a preference for self-sponsorship and the hesitance to incur repayable loans. He called for intensified