Can I use my school fees to invest and still pay my fees later?

A few days ago, one of my followers asked me this question.
At first, I wanted to reply with just one sentence.

But then I remembered something…
This is not a question only one student is asking.
Thousands of students are quietly asking the same question.

So let me answer it publicly.
And I want you to read this carefully.
Especially if you are a student.
Because one wrong decision can cost you an entire academic session.

First, let me explain why he asked me this question.
Last year, I made a post that surprised many people.
I said:
“Throughout my time at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), I hardly paid my school fees immediately.”
Instead…
I invested the money first.
Then I paid my school fees much later.
Some people thought I was joking.
Others thought I was encouraging students to gamble with their school fees.
No.
That is not what I was saying.

Let me explain the full story.
During my time at UNILAG…
I was a Distance Learning Institute (DLI) student.
One thing about our programme was that we already knew our school fees for the academic year.
We also wrote our examinations once a year.
That gave me enough time before the final payment deadline.
So instead of allowing the money to sit idle in my bank account…
I put it to work.

But here’s the part many people don’t know.
I didn’t throw all the money into one investment.
I diversified it.
Some went into the stock market.
Some went into equity funds.
Some went into money market mutual funds.
Only a very small portion, about 5 – 10% went into cryptocurrency.
The rest was spread across investments based on my own research and strategy.

Then something interesting happened.
While other students were rushing to pay their school fees…
I was usually among the last people to pay.
Not because I didn’t have the money.
But because I allowed my money to keep working for me for as long as possible before I needed it.
When I finally sold some of my investments…
I paid my own school fees.
The amazing part?
The same money also helped me pay the school fees of about five other students during our final year.
Think about that for a moment.
One pool of money…
Paid my fees…
And still helped other people.
That is the power of making your money work for you.

But please…
Don’t stop reading here.
Because this is where many people make a dangerous mistake.
This strategy is NOT for everybody.
YES.
Read that again.
It is not for everybody.
Your school fees is not gambling money.
It is not “let me try and see.”
It is not “Iking Ferry did it na, let me also do it.”
No.

Let me ask you a simple question.
Imagine your mother gives you ₦500,000 for school fees.
She probably struggled to save that money.
Maybe she sold farm produce.
Maybe your father borrowed money.
Maybe your parents denied themselves many things just to send you to school.
Now imagine you put that money into an investment you don’t understand…
And you lose it.
What will you tell them?
That is why I always tell people:
Never risk money you cannot afford to lose.

So why was I able to do it?
Because before I ever used my school fees that way…
I had already spent years studying the capital market.
I understood fundamental analysis.
I understood technical analysis.
I knew how to read company financial statements.
I knew how to analyse businesses.
I spent hours researching before buying any stock.
I wasn’t guessing.
I wasn’t following social media hype.
I wasn’t buying because someone said,
“This stock will go up tomorrow.”
There was knowledge behind every decision.
Even then…
I still had a backup plan.
This is another part many people never heard.
Even if every investment had gone wrong…
I could still pay my school fees.
Why?
Because I had another asset.
My digital marketing skills.
If my investments failed…
I could use my skills to earn money and pay my fees.
Yes, it would hurt.
Yes, I might not have enough left to help other students.
But I would still remain in school.
That backup gave me confidence.
Without it…
I would never have taken that risk.
That’s why I encourage every one to learn a skill that businesses need everyday… And if you don’t know where to start I recommend Pulseford Business School

Back to the School fees story..
Imagine Mama Ngozi gives her son money to buy rice for the family.
Instead of buying the rice…
The son goes to gamble because he believes he can double the money.
If he wins…
Everybody will celebrate.
But if he loses…
The family sleeps hungry.
Would you call that wisdom?
No.
Because some money has a purpose.
School fees is one of those kinds of money.

So what do I advise students today?
If your school fees will be needed in the next three months… six months… or even one year…
Please don’t rush into stock trading because somebody on Facebook said stocks make money.
The stock market is designed for people who understand the risks and who can leave money invested for the long term.
Markets can rise.
Markets can fall.
Nobody can guarantee short-term returns.

So what should you do instead?
If you simply want your money to work a little before paying your fees…
Consider lower-risk options like Money Market Mutual Funds.
They are generally designed for people who want easier access to their money while earning some return, although returns are not guaranteed.
You may not make huge profits.
But the goal here is not to become rich overnight.
The goal is to protect your school fees while allowing it to earn something before you need it.
Sometimes, protecting your capital is more important than chasing the highest return.

And This is the lesson I want every student to remember.
Not everything you see on social media is meant to be copied.
Sometimes people share the result…
Without sharing the years of learning that came before it.
Don’t copy someone’s strategy.
Understand the knowledge behind it first.
Because in investing…
The biggest risk is not the stock market.
The biggest risk is investing in something you do not understand.
That is why I don’t just teach people where to invest.
I teach people how to think before they invest.
Because knowledge protects money.

And that’s why I founded Fokona to localise and democratise Financial Literacy and wealth building in Nigeria.
And sometimes…
The smartest investment you can ever make is investing in your financial education first.

My name is Iking Ferry,
A Financial Literacy Advocate and Investment Strategist on a mission to build 10 million financially free Nigerians and Africans through Fokona, one lesson at a time.