The College of Nursing Sciences, Adazi-Nnukwu (commonly abbreviated as CONSA), located within St. Joseph’s Hospital in Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State, is one of the more established mission-affiliated nursing training institutions in South-East Nigeria. Students researching this institution usually want one thing above all else: a clear picture of what it costs to study there, and whether that cost differs between a candidate gaining fresh admission and a student who is simply continuing into a new academic year. This article answers that directly, covering the fee structure, the payment stages, and the admission conditions tied to those payments.
About College of Nursing Sciences, Adazi-Nnukwu
CONSA operates as a Catholic mission-owned institution attached to St. Joseph’s Hospital, and its training philosophy is built around the standards set by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN). The college runs several programmes:
- General Nursing Programme (three-year Basic Nursing training leading to Registered Nurse qualification)
- Basic Midwifery Programme
- Post-Basic Nursing Programme (a two-year advanced programme for already-qualified nurses)
- Post-Basic Midwifery Programme
- Bachelor of Nursing Science (BNSc), run in affiliation with Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka
The BNSc affiliation with UNIZIK means students in that stream work toward a full university degree while training within the CONSA environment, giving graduates an academic pathway beyond the diploma-level qualification that the standalone nursing and midwifery programmes offer.
How the Fee Structure Is Organised
As with most Nigerian nursing training institutions, CONSA does not charge one lump figure at a single point. Instead, costs accumulate across distinct stages: application and screening, admission acceptance, and then the annual tuition and associated charges that repeat every session. A fresher pays more in total during their first year because entry-specific charges stack on top of the regular annual fees. A returning student skips those entry charges and pays mainly the recurring annual cost.
Stage 1: Post-UTME Registration Fee (Freshers Only)
Before screening, every candidate applying for the General Nursing or Midwifery programme pays a Post-UTME registration fee. For the current admission cycle, this fee is set at ₦2,000. This charge is separate from JAMB’s own fees and is paid specifically to CONSA to process the candidate through its screening exercise. It applies only to fresh applicants and is not something returning students encounter again.
Stage 2: Change of Institution and Screening Requirements (Freshers Only)
A candidate must first change their institution on the JAMB portal to select College of Nursing Sciences, Adazi-Nnukwu as their first choice before the Post-UTME registration can proceed. Alongside this, the candidate needs a UTME score at or above the college’s cut-off mark for that admission cycle — typically around 140, though the exact figure can be adjusted by the college from one session to the next, so candidates should confirm the current cut-off before applying. Candidates must also hold at least five credit passes in English Language, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics from WAEC, NECO, or NABTEB, obtained in not more than two sittings. Combinations across WAEC and NECO are acceptable, but NABTEB results cannot be mixed with WAEC or NECO results — a candidate using NABTEB must have all five required credits within that single examination body.
Stage 3: Acceptance Fee (Freshers Only)
Once a candidate secures a provisional offer of admission, they are required to pay an acceptance fee before that offer is treated as confirmed. This payment is standard practice across Nigerian nursing colleges and functions as proof that the candidate intends to take up the offered place. Because the exact naira amount can be reviewed by college management between sessions, candidates should confirm the specific figure directly from the registrar’s office or the official college channels at the point of admission rather than relying on a fixed number carried over from a previous year. Returning students do not pay this fee again in subsequent sessions, since it applies only at the point of first entry.
Stage 4: Annual Tuition and Session Charges (Freshers and Returning Students)
This is the core recurring cost that both freshers and returning students pay every academic year. Based on the most recent detailed fee documentation available for the college — specifically for the Basic Midwifery programme — the total annual payable fees for a session amount to approximately ₦568,000. This figure represents the core tuition and associated academic charges for that session and does not include boarding or feeding, both of which are billed as separate, additional costs on top of the base figure.
Because CONSA runs multiple programmes (General Nursing, Basic Midwifery, Post-Basic Nursing, Post-Basic Midwifery, and BNSc), the exact annual charge can differ slightly depending on which programme a student is enrolled in and their current level within that programme. The ₦568,000 figure should therefore be treated as a strong reference point for what a student in a comparable diploma-level programme can expect to budget for tuition and core charges in a session, while students should still confirm their own programme-specific figure with the college’s accounts office.
Stage 5: Boarding and Feeding (Freshers and Returning Students, Optional but Common)
Because CONSA trains students within a hospital-affiliated, largely residential environment, most students opt into boarding and structured feeding arrangements rather than commuting daily. These costs sit outside the ₦568,000 core tuition figure and are billed separately, meaning a student’s full session budget needs to account for accommodation and meals in addition to academic fees. Both freshers and returning students pay for boarding and feeding on the same basis, since neither cost is tied to first-time entry.
Summary Table: Freshers vs. Returning Students
| Fee Component | Freshers | Returning Students |
|---|---|---|
| Post-UTME registration fee (₦2,000) | Required | Not applicable |
| Change of institution on JAMB portal | Required | Not applicable |
| Acceptance fee | Required (one-time) | Not applicable |
| Annual tuition and core charges (approx. ₦568,000) | Required | Required |
| Boarding fee | Optional, same basis as returning students | Optional, same basis as freshers |
| Feeding charge | Optional, same basis as returning students | Optional, same basis as freshers |
| Clearing any prior session balance | Not applicable | Required before new-session processing |
Why the Total Cost Differs Between a Fresher’s First Year and Later Years
A fresher’s first-year cost is higher in total because of the one-time charges layered on top of the standard annual fee: the Post-UTME registration fee and the acceptance fee. From the second year onward, a student already enrolled at CONSA no longer carries these entry-specific charges and pays mainly the recurring annual tuition, plus boarding and feeding if they choose to remain resident. This pattern is not unique to CONSA — it reflects how nearly all Nigerian nursing and midwifery training institutions structure their fees, separating one-time admission costs from the recurring academic charges that apply throughout a student’s programme.
Admission Requirements That Affect Fee Eligibility
Since a candidate cannot reach the tuition-payment stage without first clearing admission requirements, it helps to understand what stands between application and the point of paying core fees:
- A minimum of five O’Level credit passes in English Language, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, from WAEC, NECO, or NABTEB, in not more than two sittings.
- A UTME score meeting or exceeding the college’s current cut-off mark.
- Change of institution on the JAMB portal to make CONSA the candidate’s first choice, completed before Post-UTME registration.
- Original certificates or valid computer-generated printouts of results — results marked as “awaiting” are not accepted for admission processing.
- Supporting documents including a testimonial from the candidate’s previous school and a birth certificate or court-issued declaration of age.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the acceptance fee the same as tuition?
No. The acceptance fee is a separate, one-time payment made to confirm a fresh admission offer. It is paid before the student proceeds to pay the annual tuition and core charges for that session.
Does the ₦568,000 figure include hostel accommodation and feeding?
No. That figure covers core tuition and academic charges for the session. Boarding and feeding are billed as additional, separate costs.
Do returning students pay the Post-UTME registration fee again?
No. That fee applies only once, at the point of fresh application, and is not part of what a continuing student pays in later sessions.
Can school fees change from one session to the next?
Yes. Figures such as the acceptance fee, Post-UTME registration fee, and even the core tuition amount can be reviewed by the college between academic sessions, so students should always confirm the current figures with the registrar’s or accounts office rather than assuming a previous year’s amount still applies.
Is CONSA only for the General Nursing and Midwifery diploma, or does it offer a degree programme too?
Both. Alongside its diploma-level General Nursing, Basic Midwifery, and Post-Basic programmes, CONSA also runs a Bachelor of Nursing Science (BNSc) programme in affiliation with Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, for students seeking a full university nursing degree.