Parents, students lament rising post-UTME fees, other challenges

UTME pupils

The increase in charges for Post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, acceptance and clearance fees across Nigerian universities has raised serious concerns among parents, students, and education stakeholders.

Stakeholders also criticised the logistical challenges faced by candidates—often accompanied by their parents—who are compelled to travel long distances to the universities for screening.

Many described these developments as adding financial strain on families already grappling with economic hardship.

They called for a downward review of post UTME charges, scrapping of acceptance and clearance fees and an online screening of qualified shortlisted candidates to end the burden and risks involved in embarking on long journeys.

Originally pegged at N2,000, Post-UTME charges in many institutions have now risen to N5,000, N10,000 or more, depending on the institution.

It would be recalled that the former Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, in one of the policy meetings on admission into tertiary institutions, directed schools not to charge above N2,000 for Post-UTME.

Since this pronouncement, universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and others have continued to charge above the directed fee. Punch