The Catholic Archdiocese of Ibadan (CAI) College of Nursing Sciences, Oluyoro, commonly referred to as CAICONS, is a mission-based nursing institution located within the Oluyoro, Oke-Ofa area of Ibadan, Oyo State. The college runs an ND/HND Nursing programme and traces its origin to a School of Midwifery established in 1957. Prospective and current students regularly ask what the college charges, how the fees differ between newly admitted students and those continuing their programme, and how the admission and payment process works. This article addresses these questions directly for the 2026/2027 academic session and beyond.
About Catholic Archdiocese of Ibadan College of Nursing Sciences
CAICONS began life in 1957 as a School of Midwifery, established to meet the growing need for well-trained nurses and midwives in the Ibadan area. The school gained recognition from the Midwives Board of England in 1967 and went on to train several hundred midwives across both Basic and Post Basic programmes over subsequent decades. In 2014, admissions were placed on hold, and the school stopped taking in new students while existing staff were redeployed to handle certificate, testimonial, and transcript requests from former students. The institution has since been reorganized and upgraded to the status of a full College of Nursing Sciences, resuming admissions with a structured ND/HND Nursing programme and, in the 2026/2027 session, holding its maiden matriculation ceremony for the newly reconstituted college.
The college operates under the authority of the Catholic Archdiocese of Ibadan and is physically located within the Oluyoro, Oke-Ofa area along the Agodi Gate–Agugu/Oremeji route in Ibadan. Its academic leadership includes a Provost and Deputy Provost with clinical and academic nursing credentials, supported by a Registrar and Bursar who oversee registration and financial matters respectively.
Programme Offered and Duration
CAICONS currently runs a National Diploma/Higher National Diploma (ND/HND) Nursing programme with a total duration of four years. This places the CAICONS route among the longer diploma-level nursing pathways in Oyo State, structured to combine theoretical instruction, skills laboratory training, and supervised clinical practice across the full four-year span before students qualify for the relevant nursing certification.
Admission Requirements
To be considered for admission into the ND/HND Nursing programme at CAICONS, a candidate must meet the following requirements:
- Be at least 16 years old as at the stated reference date for the admission cycle.
- Score a minimum of 150 in the JAMB UTME for the relevant admission year.
- Have selected CAI College of Nursing Sciences, Oluyoro, as their choice of institution during JAMB registration, or provide evidence of a completed Change of Institution to CAICONS on the JAMB portal.
- Meet a minimum of five O’Level credit passes, from WAEC, NECO, or NABTEB, in not more than two sittings, in English Language, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology.
Candidates who do not meet the minimum entry qualifications at the point of registration are required to withdraw from the college, and admission is only fully recognized once a student has paid the prescribed fees, registered, and gone through matriculation. Until matriculation is completed, a candidate is not formally regarded as a member of the college community.
Admission Timeline for the 2026/2027 Session
CAICONS follows a structured admission calendar each cycle. For the 2026/2027 session, the application window opened on Monday 18th May 2026 and runs through Friday 28th August 2026. The college’s own Post-UTME screening exercise is scheduled for Saturday 5th September 2026, followed by an interview stage on Saturday 12th September 2026. Applicants can complete the application form online through the college’s official admission portal or visit the business centre located at the college premises to apply in person. Candidates should treat these dates as indicative of the college’s general admission rhythm, since exact dates are reviewed and republished for each new session.
School Fees for Freshers
Once a candidate successfully completes the screening and interview process and receives an admission offer, the college issues a fee schedule specifically for newly admitted students. As with most Nigerian nursing training institutions, this schedule sits higher than what returning students pay, since it bundles several one-time entry charges together with the regular recurring academic fees. A typical breakdown of what freshers are billed for at CAICONS includes:
- Acceptance fee — paid to confirm that the candidate is taking up the offered admission slot.
- Tuition fee — the core academic charge covering lectures, tutorials, and continuous assessment for the session.
- Registration and matriculation fee — covers formal enrolment into the college’s student register and participation in the matriculation ceremony, since a student is not officially recognized as part of the college community until matriculation is completed.
- Identity card fee — for the student card used across the campus and during clinical postings.
- Medical examination/screening fee — a compulsory pre-resumption health check, standard for students who will handle patients during ward postings.
- Uniform and clinical kit fee — covers the first set of ward uniform and basic nursing practical materials required for skills laboratory sessions.
- Departmental and laboratory fee — covers use of the nursing skills laboratory and consumables needed for practical training, including preparation for the college’s Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) assessments.
- Library and ICT fee — grants access to the college’s library and ICT Centre facilities.
- Development levy — supports the maintenance of college infrastructure and facilities.
- Examination fee — covers internal continuous assessment and end-of-session examinations, including OSCE-based practical assessments conducted at designated and accredited centres.
- Hostel accommodation fee — billed separately for students who apply for and are allocated hostel space, since the college requires students residing in hostels to register with the portal hall warden system used for tracking movement in and out of the college for emergency purposes.
Because acceptance, matriculation, ID card issuance, and first-time medical screening are one-off charges, a fresher’s overall bill for the opening session is consistently the highest a student pays across the full four-year duration of the programme.
School Fees for Returning Students
Returning students, meaning those who have completed at least one level of the ND/HND Nursing programme and are progressing to the next, are billed differently from freshers. Since the acceptance fee, matriculation charge, and first-time medical screening from year one do not repeat, a returning student’s schedule is comparatively lighter. Typical charges for returning students include:
- Tuition fee for the new session
- Development levy
- Library and ICT fee
- Laboratory and clinical practicum fee, including OSCE-related assessment costs
- Examination fee
- Hostel accommodation fee, only if the student applies for and is allocated a hostel space that session
- Replacement charges for a uniform, ID card, or kit only if the original items are lost or damaged
Because the one-time entry charges fall away after the first year, a returning student’s overall total for the session is consistently lower than a fresher’s total, even in sessions where tuition itself remains unchanged. Students should also note that the college’s general academic regulations require payment of the prescribed session fees before a student is permitted to register for that session, so returning students must clear their fees promptly to avoid delays in course registration.
Fresher vs Returning Student Fees: A Comparison
The table below summarizes which charges apply to freshers and which apply to returning students at CAI College of Nursing Sciences, Oluyoro. It focuses on the pattern of charges rather than fixed naira figures, since the college reviews and republishes its official fee schedule at the start of each session, and amounts can shift from one academic year to the next.
| Fee Component | Freshers | Returning Students |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptance fee | Paid once, after admission offer | Not applicable |
| Matriculation/registration fee | Paid | Not applicable |
| ID card fee | Paid | Only if replacing a lost/damaged card |
| Medical screening fee | Paid | Not applicable (unless a fresh screening is required) |
| Tuition fee | Paid | Paid |
| Development levy | Paid | Paid |
| Library/ICT fee | Paid | Paid |
| Laboratory/clinical/OSCE fee | Paid | Paid |
| Examination fee | Paid | Paid |
| Uniform/clinical kit fee | Paid (first set) | Only if replacing worn-out kit |
| Hostel fee | Optional, billed separately | Optional, billed separately |
| Overall first-session total | Highest of all four sessions | Lower than freshers’ total |
Transfer, Withdrawal, and Deferment Rules That Affect Fee Obligations
CAICONS operates specific academic regulations around transfer, withdrawal, and deferment that students should understand alongside the fee structure, since these rules directly affect financial obligations. A student seeking to transfer to another institution must have completed at least two semesters at the college, and any such transfer requires approval from the Academic Board. A student applying for deferment of admission must have fulfilled all financial obligations to the college in full and must already have matriculated before deferment can be granted by the Academic Board. All deferment applications are routed through the relevant Head of Department to the Registrar. These rules mean that outstanding fee balances can directly block a student’s ability to defer or transfer, making prompt payment an important part of managing one’s academic standing at the college.
How Payment Is Made
Payment at CAICONS generally follows this process:
- Confirm the admission offer following successful completion of the Post-UTME screening and interview stages.
- Obtain the current session’s approved fee schedule through the college’s official student portal or directly from the Bursar’s office.
- Make payment through the channel specified by the college for that session.
- Retain the payment receipt or e-payment confirmation as proof of payment.
- Complete registration and matriculation once payment is confirmed, since full membership of the college community only takes effect after both steps are completed.
Students are advised to complete every stage of application and payment only through the college’s official portal or verified contacts, and to direct any enquiries to the college’s published phone lines or email address rather than unofficial third-party sources.
What the Fees Typically Exclude
A number of recurring expenses generally fall outside the official school fees and should be planned for separately:
- Daily feeding and personal upkeep
- Transportation to and from clinical posting sites
- Personal textbooks and stationery beyond what the library provides
- Extra sets of uniform beyond the first issued set
- Personal health expenses outside the compulsory entry medical screening
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the nursing programme at CAICONS last?
The ND/HND Nursing programme runs for four years, combining theoretical instruction, skills laboratory training, and supervised clinical practice.
Is the acceptance fee refundable if a candidate later withdraws?
No. Once paid, the acceptance fee is generally non-refundable, since it confirms that the candidate has taken up the offered admission slot.
Can a CAICONS student transfer to another institution mid-programme?
Yes, but only after completing at least two semesters at the college, and only with formal approval from the Academic Board.
Is hostel accommodation compulsory for freshers?
No. Hostel accommodation is billed separately from the standard school fees and only applies to students who apply for and are allocated a hostel space for that session.
Where can students confirm the exact current fee amount?
The exact figures for the current session are published through the official CAICONS student portal or communicated directly by the Bursar’s office at the point of registration. Since fees are reviewed periodically, students should rely on the schedule issued for the session they are entering or resuming, rather than figures from an earlier academic year.