Parents and Students Raise Concerns Over Rising Post-UTME and Admission Fees

The rising costs of Post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (Post-UTME) fees, along with acceptance and clearance charges across Nigerian universities, have sparked widespread concern among parents, students, and education stakeholders.

Beyond the financial implications, many candidates also face the burden of long-distance travel to screening centres, a situation critics describe as stressful, risky, and unfair to families already struggling under economic hardship.

Rising Fees Against Policy Directives

Originally fixed at ₦2,000, Post-UTME registration in many institutions has now surged to ₦5,000, ₦10,000, or more. This comes despite a directive by former Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, that institutions should not charge above the ₦2,000 cap.

In addition, candidates who secure admission are required to pay non-refundable acceptance fees ranging between ₦50,000 and ₦100,000, depending on the institution. Schools defend the charges as a sign of commitment from candidates, but parents and stakeholders see them as exploitative and unnecessary.

Parents Share Frustrations

Many families recount distressing experiences associated with these costs and logistics.

Mrs. Ammy Elijah described the process as frustrating, noting that after expenses for JAMB registration and transportation, parents are further pressured to provide tens of thousands for acceptance and clearance.

Similarly, Mr. Fred Ugochukwu, a parent from Kaduna, narrated how he had to accompany his two children to the University of Ilorin for their Post-UTME screening. He recounted the financial strain of travel, hotel accommodation, and feeding, only for both children to miss the cut-off mark. “The hurdles are just too much. My money, the risks, and the sacrifices all went in vain,” he lamented.

Another parent, Mr. Beyioku Ogundipe, shared how he and his wife had to split duties to accompany their children to screenings in Lagos and Akure on the same day, stressing the toll such duplication of exams takes on families.

For Mrs. Antonia Idachaba, a trip to the South-East with her daughter for Post-UTME in 2024 turned into a nightmare after their vehicle broke down in a remote area at night, forcing them into unsafe conditions before eventually arriving at their destination at 3 a.m.

Students and Stakeholders Weigh In

Students themselves have not been spared. An applicant, Eniola Abe, described the rising costs as discouraging for less-privileged candidates. “Education should not be for only the rich; it should be the right of every Nigerian child,” she said.

A retired Director of Quality Assurance in the FCT, Mr. Salihu Yahaya, warned that rising admission-related fees risk shutting out children from poor and middle-income families. He also called for more government investment in Computer-Based Test centres to ease access and reduce exploitation.

The National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN) President, Prof. Boniface Odeh, acknowledged that while Post-UTME exams help institutions assess candidates beyond their UTME results, the current economic realities have made the process financially overwhelming. He suggested streamlining examinations, reviewing acceptance fees, and considering alternative assessment methods to reduce hardship.

Calls for Urgent Reform

Stakeholders continue to call on the Federal Ministry of Education and regulatory bodies to intervene. Proposals include:

• Scrapping acceptance and clearance fees.
• Making Post-UTME screening fully online, as practised in some universities.
• Establishing more CBT centres nationwide to reduce overcrowding and travel risks.
• Reviewing fee structures to ensure fairness and accessibility.

With over 21,000 candidates participating in the University of Ilorin’s 2025 Post-UTME screening alone, the debate underscores the growing tension between maintaining quality standards in admissions and ensuring access to higher education for all.

Unless urgent reforms are implemented, parents and students fear that the rising costs and logistical hurdles could further deepen the crisis of access to tertiary education in Nigeria.