Sancta Maria Catholic College of Nursing Sciences, located at Afasho-Afowa, Uzairue, in Auchi, Edo State, is one of the private mission-run nursing institutions in Edo State offering programmes accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN). Prospective students and their parents regularly search for clarity on what the college charges, how the charges differ between newly admitted (fresher) students and continuing (returning) students, and how payments are made. This article lays out everything currently known about the fee structure, the payment process, and what applicants should expect financially before and after gaining admission.
Overview of Sancta Maria College of Nursing Sciences, Auchi
Sancta Maria College of Nursing Sciences runs a Catholic mission-based training programme for students pursuing careers in nursing and related health fields. The institution offers General Nursing, Midwifery, Post-Basic Nursing, and Public Health Nursing programmes, along with a National Diploma (ND) Nursing track. Admission into these programmes follows a standard process: an application form, an entrance examination, an oral interview, and, for successful candidates, a formal admission letter that specifies the fees due for registration.
Because the college is privately administered by the Catholic Diocese overseeing it, its fee structure is not published as a flat public price list the way tuition might be listed on a university website. Instead, the specific breakdown of charges is communicated directly to each candidate once they are offered admission, through an admission letter or the school’s online portal. This is common practice among many private and mission-run nursing colleges in Nigeria, where fees are subject to periodic review and are confirmed only after a student’s admission status is verified.
What the Application Process Costs
Before school fees even come into the picture, every candidate must first purchase and complete an admission form. For recent admission cycles, this application fee has been set at approximately ₦25,500, payable through the Remita platform or the college’s designated online portal. This fee covers the cost of the application form itself, participation in the entrance examination, and consideration for the oral interview stage that follows for candidates who pass the written test.
It’s worth noting that this application fee has changed from one admission cycle to the next — a previous cycle listed the fee at around ₦15,200 before adjustments were made for later sessions. This pattern shows that prospective applicants should always confirm the current fee directly from the school’s official portal (sanctamaria.edu.ng) or through the college’s verified contact lines rather than relying on outdated figures from a previous year.
School Fees for Fresh (Newly Admitted) Students
Once a candidate successfully passes the entrance examination and interview and receives an offer of admission, the next financial obligation is the acceptance fee. This is a separate charge from the application fee and serves as confirmation that the student intends to take up the offered admission slot. After the acceptance fee is settled, the college issues instructions for payment of full school fees for the first year.
For freshers, the total cost typically includes several components bundled into what the school refers to as the “school fees” for a new session. These components generally include:
- Tuition charges for the academic session
- Registration and matriculation fees
- Library and laboratory/clinical practicum charges
- Departmental and faculty development levies
- Sports, medical, and student union charges
- Accommodation fees, where the student opts for hostel lodging
- Uniform and clinical practical wear costs, which are often a one-time charge in the first year
Because freshers are paying for items like matriculation, orientation, and first-time registration that returning students do not pay for again, the total amount charged to a fresher in year one is generally higher than what a returning student pays in subsequent years. The exact naira figures for these components are only released through the admission letter or the student portal after an offer has been accepted, and they are subject to periodic revision by the school’s management, so any specific figure quoted outside an official source should be treated with caution until confirmed directly with the college.
School Fees for Returning Students
Returning students — those already enrolled and progressing from one academic year to the next within the General Nursing, Midwifery, or ND Nursing programme — pay a school fee structure that excludes the one-time charges associated with first admission, such as matriculation and the initial uniform purchase. Their fees mainly cover:
- Tuition for the new academic session
- Continuing registration fees
- Laboratory, clinical practicum, and equipment usage charges
- Examination and continuous assessment fees
- Hostel fees, for those still resident on campus
- Any outstanding levies carried over from the previous session
Because several one-off costs from the first year are no longer applicable, returning students typically pay a somewhat reduced total compared to freshers, although tuition itself may rise slightly from year to year in line with the school’s periodic fee reviews. Students already enrolled are usually notified of any changes to the fee schedule before the start of a new session, either through official notices pinned at the school or communicated via the student portal.
Comparing Fresher and Returning Student Charges
The table below summarizes the general difference in what each category of student is billed for, based on how the college structures its fee categories. It does not represent fixed naira amounts, since those figures change from session to session and are only confirmed through official channels.
| Fee Component | Freshers (New Students) | Returning Students |
|---|---|---|
| Application/admission form | Required | Not applicable |
| Acceptance fee | Required | Not applicable |
| Matriculation/registration | Required (first-time) | Reduced/renewal only |
| Tuition | Full charge | Full charge (may be revised) |
| Uniform/clinical wear | One-time initial purchase | Only if replacement needed |
| Laboratory/practicum fees | Required | Required |
| Examination fees | Required | Required |
| Hostel/accommodation | Optional, if resident | Optional, if resident |
How and Where School Fees Are Paid
Sancta Maria College of Nursing Sciences processes its fee payments through designated bank accounts and, in many cases, the Remita payment platform, which is commonly used across Nigerian tertiary and health training institutions for generating payment invoices and tracking receipts. Students are usually instructed to log into the school’s student portal, generate an invoice specific to their admission or session status, and make payment through the approved channel before the payment deadline communicated by the school.
It is important that students avoid making payments to personal accounts or unverified agents claiming to process admission or fee payments on behalf of the college. The school has, in past admission cycles, issued public notices warning applicants about scam alerts involving fraudulent individuals posing as admission officers. Any payment should only be made after confirming the correct account details or portal link through the official college website or its verified phone contact.
Factors That Can Affect the Total Fee a Student Pays
Several variables affect how much an individual student ultimately pays in a given session:
- Choice of programme — General Nursing, Midwifery, Post-Basic Nursing, Public Health Nursing, and the ND Nursing track may carry different fee structures based on programme duration and clinical training requirements.
- Accommodation choice — Students who choose to live in the school hostel pay additional accommodation charges, while those who commute or arrange private lodging do not.
- Level of study — First-year students carry extra one-time charges that later-year students do not repeat.
- Session-to-session fee reviews — Like most private institutions, the college periodically reviews its fee schedule, meaning the amount a fresher pays in one academic session may not be identical to what a fresher pays the following session.
- Late payment or part-payment arrangements — Some institutions allow phased payment of fees, which can affect how charges are broken down across a term rather than paid as one lump sum. Students should confirm directly with the bursary or admissions office whether such an arrangement is available.
Steps to Confirm the Current Fee Schedule
Because exact figures change and are only released to candidates directly, the most reliable way for a fresher or returning student to get an accurate, up-to-date fee breakdown is to follow this process:
- Visit the official college website or student portal and log in using the credentials issued after admission.
- Check for a downloadable admission letter or fee schedule document specific to the current academic session.
- Contact the school’s admissions office or bursary directly using the verified phone line published on the official website.
- Visit the school’s administrative office in person at Afasho-Afowa, Uzairue, Auchi, Edo State, if online information is unclear.
- Cross-check any payment details against the official Remita platform or bank account listed on the school’s own communication, not third-party sources.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Sancta Maria College of Nursing Sciences publish its school fees online for public viewing? No fixed public price list is maintained on the school’s website. Fee amounts are communicated directly to candidates after admission, through the admission letter or student portal, because charges are reviewed periodically.
Is the application form fee the same as the school fees? No. The application form fee only covers the cost of applying, sitting the entrance examination, and being considered for interview. School fees are a separate, larger payment made after a candidate is formally admitted.
Do freshers pay more than returning students? Generally, yes, because freshers cover one-time charges such as matriculation, registration, and initial uniform costs that returning students do not pay again in later sessions.
Can school fees be paid in installments? This depends on the school’s current policy for the academic session in question. Candidates should confirm directly with the bursary or admissions office whether phased payment is permitted.
How can a student avoid falling victim to fee payment scams? Only make payments through the official college portal, verified Remita invoice, or a bank account confirmed directly from the school’s official website or admissions office — never through unverified individuals or third-party agents claiming to facilitate faster admission or lower fees.