Blessed Martins College of Nursing Sciences is a private nursing institution located in Ohatekwe, Angagu, in Ebonyi State, within the Ikwo local government area. The college runs professional nursing and midwifery training programmes regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN). Prospective applicants and current students frequently search for a clear breakdown of what the college charges, both at entry level and in subsequent years of study. This article explains what is confirmed about the college’s fee structure, what freshers should expect to budget for, and how returning students’ payments typically differ, along with practical guidance on how to get the exact current figures directly from the school.
What Blessed Martins College of Nursing Sciences Offers
The college runs more than one nursing-related programme. It offers Basic Nursing, Midwifery, and Public Health Nursing programmes, and it also runs a two-year Post Basic Nursing programme for candidates who already hold a nursing qualification and want to specialise further. This means the fee a student pays depends heavily on which programme they are enrolling for, since a fresh entrant into the General Nursing programme pays a different structure from someone entering the Post Basic track as an already-qualified nurse.
Admission into the General Nursing programme follows the standard NMCN entry requirement: candidates need a Senior Secondary School Certificate or its equivalent with five credits including English Language and either Physics, Chemistry, or Biology/Health Science, obtained in not more than two sittings. This requirement is consistent with what most accredited schools of nursing in Nigeria demand, and it directly affects who qualifies to pay the freshers’ fee in the first place.
Application (Form) Fee for New Applicants
Before a candidate is considered a fresher with an actual admission fee to pay, they must first purchase the school’s admission form. The confirmed cost for this is a non-refundable sum of Twenty Thousand Naira (₦20,000), paid directly into the college’s designated account before a candidate can collect or register for the form. This form fee is separate from tuition and is not refunded whether or not the candidate is eventually offered admission. Applicants are expected to retain their payment receipt and present it at one of the college’s listed offices to collect the physical form or complete online registration.
The college maintains contact and liaison points beyond its main campus to make the application process accessible to candidates outside Ebonyi State. These include an office in Abakaliki, an office in Abuja, an office in Calabar, and a contact point in Yola, Adamawa State. A candidate applying from any of these regions does not necessarily need to travel to the main campus in Ohatekwe just to obtain or submit an application form.
Understanding Freshers’ Fees Versus Returning Students’ Fees
Like most private colleges of nursing sciences in Nigeria, Blessed Martins structures its charges differently for freshers and for returning students, and the difference comes down to what each group is paying for.
Freshers (first-year or newly admitted students) typically carry the heaviest financial load in their first session. Beyond tuition itself, a fresher is usually billed for one-off charges that a returning student does not pay again. These commonly include an acceptance fee once admission is confirmed, a matriculation fee, identity card and departmental registration charges, uniform and clinical wear costs, and sometimes a caution deposit held by the school for the duration of the programme. Because of these one-time additions, a fresher’s total first-session payment is almost always noticeably higher than what the same student pays in year two or three.
Returning students, by contrast, generally pay a fee schedule that excludes those one-off entry charges. Their payment each session is largely made up of tuition, examination fees, library and ICT access charges, and continuing clinical practicum fees tied to hospital postings. Since the one-time admission-related charges have already been settled in the first year, a returning student’s session-to-session cost is typically lower and more predictable than a fresher’s.
The table below summarises this general distinction in fee components, which applies broadly to private nursing colleges of this type, including Blessed Martins:
| Fee Component | Applies to Freshers | Applies to Returning Students |
|---|---|---|
| Admission form/application fee | Yes | No |
| Acceptance fee | Yes | No |
| Matriculation fee | Yes | No |
| Tuition fee | Yes | Yes |
| Examination fee | Yes | Yes |
| Library and ICT fee | Yes | Yes |
| Clinical/practicum fee | Yes | Yes |
| Uniform and clinical wear | Yes (first purchase) | Occasionally (replacement only) |
| Caution deposit | Yes (one-time) | No (already paid) |
| Hostel fee (where applicable) | Yes, if resident | Yes, if resident |
This structure explains why students and parents often notice a sharp difference between what is billed in the first session and what is billed afterward, even when the core tuition amount itself has not changed.
Why the Exact Naira Figures Are Not Fixed Year-Round
Nursing college fees in Nigeria, including at Blessed Martins, are reviewed periodically by school management, usually before each new admission cycle opens. A figure that was accurate for one academic session can shift for the next one due to changes in operating costs, clinical placement arrangements, or general inflation. For this reason, a responsible approach is to treat any specific naira amount circulating for tuition as provisional until confirmed directly from the college’s admissions office for the current session a candidate is applying into.
The most reliable way to get the current, exact fee breakdown is to:
- Contact the college directly through its official admissions line or one of its listed liaison offices in Abakaliki, Abuja, Calabar, or Yola.
- Ask specifically for the current session’s fee schedule, broken down into form fee, acceptance fee, tuition, and other charges, rather than a single lump figure.
- Request written confirmation, such as an official fee schedule document or receipt breakdown, before making any payment.
- Clarify whether hostel accommodation and feeding are included in the quoted figure or billed separately, since this is a common source of confusion.
- Confirm the payment account details directly with the school before transferring money, since impersonation and fraudulent account details are a known risk with nursing school admissions in Nigeria.
Payment Method and Safety Guidance
All confirmed payments for Blessed Martins College of Nursing Sciences, including the application form fee, are made through bank transfer into an account bearing the college’s registered name. Candidates should never send money to a personal account or to an account name that does not match the institution. Given how nursing school admission processes are frequently targeted by fraudulent contacts using similar names or slightly altered phone numbers, applicants are strongly advised to verify any phone number or account detail directly with the school’s official liaison office before making a transfer, rather than relying solely on numbers found through informal channels.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the ₦20,000 application fee for Blessed Martins College of Nursing Sciences refundable?
No. The application/form fee is explicitly non-refundable, regardless of the outcome of the candidate’s application.
Does the Post Basic Nursing programme cost the same as the General Nursing programme?
No. The Post Basic Nursing programme is a separate two-year track for already-qualified nurses, and its fee structure is billed differently from the entry-level General Nursing programme. Candidates interested in this track should request the specific fee schedule for it separately.
Do returning students pay less than freshers at Blessed Martins College of Nursing Sciences?
Generally, yes. Returning students no longer pay one-off entry charges such as the acceptance fee, matriculation fee, and caution deposit, which reduces their overall session cost compared to what freshers pay in their first year.
Where can a candidate outside Ebonyi State submit an application to the college?
Candidates can use the college’s liaison offices in Abakaliki, Abuja, Calabar, or the contact point in Yola, in addition to the main campus in Ohatekwe.
How can a candidate confirm the current fee amount before paying?
The safest approach is to contact the college’s official admissions office directly and request a written fee breakdown for the specific session and programme the candidate is applying for, and to verify payment account details before transferring any money.