A 300-level University of Lagos student, Migwe Obinna Nicholas, has shared how the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) enabled him to remain in school, saying the scheme rescued him from the brink of dropping out due to financial hardship.
Nicholas, a Theatre Arts and Film Studies undergraduate, recounted his experience in an interview with former Big Brother Naija housemate DeeOne, posted on Instagram on Monday.
The student revealed that he currently lives in his local church because he has no personal accommodation after leaving his elder sister’s home following disagreements with her husband.
“I’m the only person in my family that has made it to university. I’m using student loan to fund myself through school right now. I live in my local church while schooling. I don’t have my own apartment right now,” he said.
Nicholas explained that he was raised in a poor family and moved from Ebonyi State to Lagos at the age of eight to live with his sister, who supported his education for several years.
However, after he gained admission into the University of Lagos, he said he was asked to leave the house because his brother-in-law wanted him to abandon his academic ambitions and join the family business.
I come from a broken family, like a poor family. I’ve been with my sister since I was about eight years old. But when I got admission to the University of Lagos, her husband actually asked me to leave the house.
“He always wanted me to go into his line of business, which was selling accessories, but that’s not what I wanted. I wanted to go to school and become a music artist,” he said.
Performing under the stage name BMX Royce, Nicholas said he struggled to cope with the increase in tuition fees and was on the verge of withdrawing from the university before benefiting from the Federal Government’s student loan programme.
“I was thinking about dropping out, but I had to take that loan because I didn’t want to stop. If the loan didn’t come, only God would have helped me.
“Seriously, I was going to drop out about two sessions ago, but then I took the loan because I didn’t want to stop,” he said.
He disclosed that NELFUND currently covers his tuition fees, although the monthly upkeep allowance has not been paid consistently.
According to him, beneficiaries can apply for both tuition support and a monthly stipend of ₦20,000.
“I applied for both. They paid my school fees, but for the stipend, they paid about three months before they stopped. This session, they’ve paid my school fees again, but I’ve only received one stipend so far.
“I’m not complaining about the stipend. As long as they pay my school fees and I’m able to register my courses, that’s fine,” he said.
Nicholas described the application process as simple and encouraged financially challenged students to take advantage of the scheme.
“It’s easy. Just go to their site, register with your email and school credentials. They’ll verify it and you get paid,” he said.
He, however, urged students whose parents can afford their education not to apply for the loan unnecessarily.
“If you have your parents sponsoring you, you don’t have to be greedy by taking the loan. But if you’re in my situation, it’s different.
“They gave us two years after NYSC to repay it. I believe that by then I’ll be able to pay because I have faith in what I’m building,” he added.
Nicholas said completing his university education is deeply personal, as he is the first member of his family to attend university.
“I’m the only person in my family that has made it to university. I’m the last born, and I want to keep that legacy going,” he said.
