NANS Condemns Late Tuition Fee Penalties on Students

The Nigerian Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) issued a statement condemning the practice of imposing fines on students for late payment of tuition fees, labeling it as extortionate and insensitive to the economic realities faced by students and their parents across Nigeria. NANS, represented by Secretary General Oladimeji Uthman, argued that students do not intentionally default on payments but are often unable to meet deadlines due to prevailing economic challenges.

The association raised concerns regarding the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which does not align with institutional academic calendars, causing delays in loan disbursement that can lead to penalties for students. NANS criticized the "no payment, no examination" policy as sufficient for ensuring compliance and deemed additional penalty charges as an unfair financial burden that exacerbates students' difficulties.

They called for tertiary institutions to review and discontinue such punitive policies and urged them to adopt more student-friendly alternatives to guarantee access to education.