The Vice Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Prof. Olufemi Peters, addressed concerns over misleading statements suggesting that NOUN students are ineligible for the student loan scheme. Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Friday, Prof. Peters clarified that this information is incorrect and should be disregarded.
Prof. Peters attributed the misinformation to initial misrepresentations by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), which have since been corrected. He explained, “There was a misrepresentation by JAMB on that matter, but they have since corrected it. The Director of Admissions or even the JAMB Registrar can attest to that. We always register our students with JAMB every semester, and they all possess JAMB registration numbers. In addition to that, we strictly follow the same admission processes as other conventional institutions.”
He assured, “Our students are captured in the JAMB database, which is a major criterion for accessing the loan. NOUN students are eligible to enjoy the student loan scheme because the initial challenges caused by JAMB have been corrected.”
The Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFund) had previously stated that NOUN students were not eligible for the student loan scheme due to their inability to possess JAMB registration numbers, a major criterion for accessing the fund. This development caused anxiety and concern among NOUN students who wanted to leverage the student loan opportunity to pursue their university education.
Prof. Peters’ clarification reassures NOUN students of their eligibility for the student loan scheme, dispelling previous misconceptions and ensuring they can access the financial support they need for their education.
