The Nigerian government says tuition fee for students of Unity colleges across the country remains free while it only reviewed boarding and text book fees.
The government also said that it added uniform fee for the new student in Junior Secondary school one and Senior Secondary school one in the new school fees regime to address concerns of parent paying uniform fees into separate accounts and also to end too much disparity in uniform of students.
Documents obtained by Voice of Nigeria revealed that the circular titled: approved fee for federal unity colleges for new students was released on 25th of May before President Bola Tinubu assumed office.
The documents also shows that the increase made in the fees for J.S.1& S.S.1 (new students) was not in tuition fees but textbooks, other books and boarding fee.
Similarly, other contents in the same circular ADF/120/DSSE I, addressed to Principals of the Federal government colleges for J.s.1,2 & Senior Secondary School 1&2, indicated increment of N15,000 in boarding fees, N3000 in textbooks and the sum of N2000 added for notebooks.
Voice of Nigeria observed that the additional N49,500 added to the fees of JS1 students in the new school fees regime reflected on uniform, boarding, medical, utilities, textbooks, notebooks and prospectus fees.
Upward Review
Further enquiry into the upward review of the boarding and other fees of students of unity colleges, the office of the Director, Senior Secondary Education Department of the Federal Ministry of Education stated that overheads in the federal government college system is still very low.
The office added that the government just released funds for April 2023, two weeks ago hence it is the fees the students pay that is used to augment their feeding and other running cost of the schools.
According to the office, “the school fees was reviewed by the last administration. If you check the date on the circular, it was before President Bola Tinubu assumed office and we released it in May to sensitise parents”
“So the slight increase is not in tuition fees. As a matter of facts with evidence, tution fee is still free because which child will you put in school that you will not buy books for and also buy uniform”.
“The increase is insignificant as projected in the media. True be told, we don’t charge school fees. Which school will you put your child and feed him or her for three months with N30,000.
“The entire fees was reviewed across board not only for JS1 students.
“Uniform was added because of adulterated uniforms procured by parents for uniformity’s sake the school changed the idea so that all parents will buy same color of uniform.”
Recall that a directive was issued in a communique from the Office of the Director of Senior Secondary Education Department of the Federal Ministry of Education.
The circular which was signed by the Director of Senior Secondary Education, Hajia Binta Abdulkadir and has its reference number as ADF/120/DSSE/I was dated 25th May, 2023 and addressed to all Principals of Federal Unity Colleges across the country.
“Approved fees/ charges for Federal Unity Colleges (1st Term) for new students are expected to part with ₦100,000 instead of the previous N50,500,000,” the circular read in part.
