The Cross River State College of Nursing Sciences operates campuses in Obudu and Ogoja (with an additional Moniaya campus under the Ogoja arm), training students in Nursing, Midwifery, and Community Health-related programmes under the accreditation of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN). Prospective and current students frequently search for clarity on what it actually costs to study at these campuses, how fresh students differ from returning students in what they pay, and how the payment process works. This article lays out that information directly, using the most current confirmed figures and processes available for the college.
Overview of College of Nursing Sciences, Obudu and Ogoja
The College of Nursing Sciences, Obudu, and the College of Nursing Sciences, Ogoja, are both state-owned institutions under the Cross River State Ministry of Health. They are separate campuses with their own admission portals, screening exercises, and bursary departments, even though they fall under the same state nursing education framework. Obudu sits in the highland area of the state and serves students largely from the Obudu, Obanliku, and Bekwarra axis, while Ogoja (with its Moniaya satellite campus) serves the northern senatorial districts.
Both campuses run NMCN-accredited programmes, including:
- National Diploma (ND) in Nursing
- Midwifery Programme
- Community Midwifery Programme (Obudu)
- Community Nursing Programme (Ogoja)
Graduates from these programmes sit for NMCN’s professional licensing examinations, which qualify them to practice as Registered Nurses (RN) or Registered Midwives (RM) in Nigeria.
How the Fee Structure Works
Unlike university tuition, which is often a single flat figure, nursing college fees at Obudu and Ogoja are made up of several separate charges that a student pays in stages — first during the admission and screening process, then during registration, and again every session as tuition and departmental charges. Because the college now processes everything digitally, understanding the stages helps students avoid confusion or duplicate payments.
Stage 1: Application and Screening Charges (Freshers Only)
Before a candidate is even admitted, they pay for the application form and the Post-UTME screening exercise. For College of Nursing Sciences, Obudu, this includes:
- A non-refundable screening fee of ₦25,000, paid directly into the college’s designated account
- A handling charge of ₦10,000, paid at the point of collecting the physical screening form from the Provost’s office
These charges apply strictly to candidates seeking fresh admission and are not part of what returning students pay in subsequent sessions.
Stage 2: Portal Access Fee (All Students)
From the 2025/2026 academic session onward, both Obudu and Ogoja campuses moved to a centralised online payment system through their respective college portals. Every student — whether newly admitted or returning — must first pay a ₦15,000 portal access fee before any further transaction, including tuition payment, can proceed. This portal fee functions as a gateway charge rather than part of tuition itself, and it applies afresh each session.
Stage 3: Acceptance Fee (Freshers Only)
Once a candidate is offered admission, they are required to pay an acceptance fee through the college portal. This payment is what unlocks the official admission letter and allows the student to begin the registration process. Returning students do not pay this fee again, since it is a one-time charge tied to first entry into the institution.
Stage 4: Tuition and Session Charges (Freshers and Returning Students)
After the portal fee (and, for freshers, the acceptance fee) is settled, every student proceeds to pay the approved tuition and session charges for that academic year. Based on the fee patterns published for state-owned nursing colleges in Cross River State, tuition and associated charges at Obudu and Ogoja generally fall between ₦80,000 and ₦280,000 per session, depending on the specific programme (Nursing, Midwifery, or Community programmes), the student’s level, and whether additional charges such as hostel accommodation, uniform, or departmental dues are included for that year. This range places both campuses among the more affordable state nursing institutions in the South-South region, compared with private or federal alternatives that can run into several hundred thousand naira per session.
Because exact naira figures can be reviewed and adjusted by college management from one session to the next, students should treat the range above as a planning guide and always confirm the specific amount displayed on the official college portal at the point of payment, since that figure reflects the current, approved charge for their specific programme and level.
Stage 5: Outstanding Balances (Returning Students Only)
Returning students carry one extra requirement that freshers do not have: before they can pay for a new session, they must first clear any outstanding fees or charges left over from the previous session. The portal is structured to prompt this automatically — a returning student cannot proceed to pay new-session fees while an old balance remains unresolved on their account.
Summary Table: Freshers vs. Returning Students
| Fee Component | Freshers | Returning Students |
|---|---|---|
| Screening/Post-UTME fee (₦25,000) | Required | Not applicable |
| Handling charge for screening form (₦10,000) | Required | Not applicable |
| Portal access fee (₦15,000) | Required, every session | Required, every session |
| Acceptance fee | Required (one-time) | Not applicable |
| Clearing prior session’s outstanding balance | Not applicable | Required before new payment |
| Tuition and session charges (approx. ₦80,000–₦280,000) | Required | Required |
How Payments Are Made
Both the Obudu and Ogoja campuses have discontinued informal or manual payment routes. All fees, from the portal access charge to full tuition, go through each campus’s official online portal:
- The student logs in or registers on the college portal (separate portals exist for Obudu and Ogoja).
- The student pays the ₦15,000 portal access fee first, since no other transaction is possible without it.
- New students proceed to pay the acceptance fee to access their admission letter.
- Returning students clear any outstanding balance from the previous session, if one exists.
- The student pays the approved tuition and session charges for the current academic year.
- A digital receipt generates automatically after each successful payment and can be printed at any time.
- New students are expected to present printed receipts to the Student Accounts Section of the Bursary Department, while returning students present theirs for physical verification and ledger update.
The college explicitly warns students against making payments into personal or unofficial accounts, since the portal system exists specifically to prevent fraud and to keep an accurate, centralised record of who has paid what.
Admission Requirements Relevant to Fee Payment
Fee payment is tied directly to eligibility, so it helps to know the baseline admission requirements before a fresh candidate reaches the payment stage:
- A minimum of five credit passes in O’Level subjects, including English Language, Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology, and Physics, obtained in not more than two sittings (WAEC, NECO, or NABTEB accepted).
- A minimum UTME score set by the college for the given admission year (this figure is announced with each new admission cycle).
- Candidates who did not select the college as their first choice in JAMB must effect a change of institution before they can be processed for admission and, subsequently, fee payment.
Why Fee Amounts Differ Between Freshers and Returning Students
The difference in what freshers and returning students pay is not because the underlying tuition changes dramatically between years — the gap mainly comes from the one-time charges tied specifically to entry. A fresher’s first-session cost is higher overall because it stacks the screening fee, handling charge, acceptance fee, and portal fee on top of tuition. From the second year onward, a returning student skips those entry-specific charges and pays only the portal fee, tuition, and session charges, plus any balance left unpaid from before. This is a standard pattern across most Nigerian nursing colleges, not something unique to Obudu or Ogoja.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the ₦15,000 portal fee part of tuition?
No. It is a separate access charge that every student, new or returning, must pay each session before any other payment can go through.
Do returning students pay the acceptance fee again?
No. The acceptance fee is a one-time charge that applies only when a student is first admitted.
Can a returning student pay for a new session while owing from a previous one?
No. The portal requires returning students to clear any outstanding balance from the prior session before it allows payment for the new one.
Where should students go if they have payment issues?
The Student Accounts Section of the Bursary Department handles verification and resolves discrepancies, but the first step is always to confirm the payment status shown on the official college portal.
Is the tuition amount the same for Nursing, Midwifery, and Community programmes?
Not necessarily. Charges vary somewhat by programme and level, which is why the amount shown on a student’s individual portal account is the one to rely on rather than a single fixed figure.