Some admission seekers and parents have expressed concern over the financial burden associated with securing admission into tertiary institutions, particularly the ₦4,000 fee for verifying O’Level results on the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) portal.
They said the cost of the admission process had continued to rise, with expenses on JAMB registration, result verification, post-UTME screening, transportation, printing of documents and other admission-related services.
The financial pressure, they said, was particularly heavy on candidates from low-income families and parents with more than one child seeking admission.
JAMB had earlier clarified that candidates who previously uploaded their O’Level results were not required to re-upload them or obtain a verification code under the Board’s new verification system.
The Board said the new process was introduced to strengthen the integrity of O’Level results and prevent falsified results from being accepted during admission.
Under the initiative, candidates seeking admission into tertiary institutions are required to pay ₦4,000 once for verification of their O’Level results. JAMB said the measure would reduce the stress and cost associated with repeated visits to tertiary institutions or approved Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres.
A parent, Mrs Akolade Opadere, said the payment had become another burden for families already spending on JAMB registration, post-UTME forms, transportation and other admission requirements.
Another parent, Mr Nathenial Adamu, said authorities should consider the total cost of the admission process and ensure that additional charges did not make access to tertiary education more difficult for qualified candidates.
He also called for clear information on the purpose of the payment and the services it covered to prevent confusion and unnecessary financial demands.
Admission seekers Matthew Ohizu, Ayomide Joseph and Hawal Abdulfatai also expressed concerns over the financial pressure of the process, saying many candidates depended on their parents or guardians to meet the costs.
Ohizu said candidates already spent money on transportation, screening and other requirements, while Joseph urged JAMB and tertiary institutions to streamline the process and eliminate unnecessary charges.
Abdulfatai said his parents had already paid for JAMB registration, post-UTME and transportation before he was required to ensure that his O’Level result was properly verified on the JAMB portal.
JAMB’s Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) is the platform used to regulate and automate admissions into tertiary institutions. It enables candidates to monitor their admission status and confirm provisional admissions, while institutions process admissions through a structured system.
JAMB has advised admission seekers to rely on offers reflected on CAPS and beware of individuals or institutions promising admission outside the official process.
In its 2026 admission guidelines, the Board stated that all admissions offered by institutions must originate from JAMB and be reflected on its e-Facility. It added that any admission offer without a JAMB admission letter was illegal and not recognised, warning that candidates who accepted admissions outside CAPS did so at their own risk.
