The College of Nursing Sciences, Emekuku — also known as the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Holy Rosary Hospital, Emekuku — is one of the oldest nursing training institutions in Nigeria, established in 1932 by the Irish Catholic Missionaries of the Holy Rosary Sisters’ Congregation and located in Emekuku, Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo State. Anyone applying for the 2026/2027 session needs to understand how the school structures its fees, what freshers pay compared to returning students, and what the application process costs before admission is even confirmed. This article covers everything currently available on the college’s fee structure and related charges.
About the College of Nursing Sciences, Emekuku
The college runs under Holy Rosary Hospital, Emekuku, a mission hospital with a long history in nurse training in southeastern Nigeria. The school gained formal recognition from the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria in 1953, and later received recognition from the Nursing Council of England and Wales in 1963, before earning full recognition from the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria in 1965. This history matters for prospective students because it confirms the institution’s accreditation status and explains why its certificate carries recognition across Nigeria.
The college offers two main tracks:
- Basic Nursing programme — a three-year course that begins in September and is designed for secondary school leavers who meet the entry requirements.
- Post Basic Nursing/Midwifery programme — a course that commences in March and is open to candidates who already hold a basic nursing qualification and want to specialise further, such as in midwifery.
Both tracks lead to certification recognised by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, which qualifies graduates to register and practise as nurses or midwives.
Admission Requirements Before Fees Apply
Before fees become relevant, a candidate must meet the college’s entry requirements. Applicants need five O-Level credits, including Mathematics, English Language, Chemistry, Physics, and Biology, obtained in not more than two sittings. The institution also sets a UTME cut-off mark of 160 for candidates applying through the unified admission process. Candidates must pass the entrance examination and interview conducted by the school before an admission offer is made, and it is only after this stage that fee payment becomes a practical concern.
Application Fee for Prospective Students
The application fee is one of the few charges the college has made public, and it differs depending on the programme a candidate is applying for:
| Programme | Application Fee |
|---|---|
| Basic Nursing | ₦7,500 |
| Post Basic Midwifery | ₦8,500 |
Both fees are non-refundable and are paid through the school’s Remita platform at the Academic Registry before a candidate can access and complete the application form. This fee only covers the cost of processing the application; it does not count toward tuition or any other charge a candidate pays after being admitted.
School Fees for Freshers
Unlike the application fee, the college’s tuition and full fee schedule for newly admitted students is not published on any official public platform. Admitted students receive their fee schedule directly through the student portal after securing admission, rather than through a general public announcement. This is common practice among mission-run and hospital-based nursing schools in Nigeria, where fee details are communicated internally to confirmed admission candidates rather than advertised broadly before admission screening is complete.
What this means practically for a prospective fresher is:
- Fee details become available only after an applicant scales the entrance examination and interview and receives an official admission offer.
- The exact figure appears on the student’s individual portal account, tied to their admission record.
- Any fee information circulating outside the official portal or the college’s registry should be treated with caution, since the college has not released a fixed public tuition figure for the general applicant pool.
For budgeting purposes, prospective students and their sponsors should reach out directly to the Academic Registry or Bursary Department of Holy Rosary Hospital, Emekuku, once admission is confirmed, to get the exact figure for the current session rather than relying on unofficial estimates.
Typical Components of Nursing School Fees
While the exact naira figure for Emekuku is not publicly listed, fee schedules at comparable hospital-based and mission-run nursing schools in Nigeria typically include the following components, and Emekuku’s fee structure is expected to follow a similar pattern:
- Tuition fee — the core academic charge covering lectures, clinical instruction, and course materials.
- Registration fee — an administrative charge paid each session to formally register for the academic year.
- Examination fee — covers internal assessments and the professional licensing examination organised through the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.
- Clinical/practical fee — covers hospital ward postings, clinical supervision, and use of practical training facilities, which forms a significant part of nursing education.
- Uniform and practical kit fee — for freshers only, covering the standard nursing uniform, name tags, and basic clinical kit required for ward attachments.
- Library and ICT fee — covers access to reading materials and any digital learning resources the school provides.
- Accommodation fee — where hostel space is available and a student opts to live on campus.
- Medical/health fee — covers routine health checks required of nursing students given their exposure to clinical environments.
A fresher typically pays more in the first session than a returning student because the uniform, practical kit, and certain registration charges are one-off costs tied to fresh admission, while returning students mainly pay tuition, registration, examination, and any accommodation or clinical charges relevant to their year of study.
Fees for Returning Students
Returning students at nursing schools generally pay less than freshers in a given session because they skip the one-off charges tied to first admission, such as the uniform kit and certain registration processes. However, returning students in their final year sometimes pay additional charges tied to their licensing examination and clinical posting requirements as they approach graduation. As with fresh students, returning students at Emekuku access their specific fee amount through the student portal, since the college updates and communicates fees on an individual and per-session basis rather than through a blanket public fee schedule.
Basic Nursing vs Post Basic Nursing: Fee Considerations
The two main programmes at the college differ in duration and structure, which affects the total cost of completing each track:
| Factor | Basic Nursing | Post Basic Nursing/Midwifery |
|---|---|---|
| Duration | 3 years | Typically shorter, focused specialisation |
| Entry point | Secondary school leavers | Already-qualified nurses seeking specialisation |
| Intake period | September | March |
| Application fee | ₦7,500 | ₦8,500 |
| Fee structure | Full multi-year tuition and related charges | Tuition and charges scoped to the specialisation period |
Because Basic Nursing runs three years, the cumulative cost of completing the programme is higher overall than a shorter Post Basic specialisation, even in sessions where the per-session tuition figure is close between the two tracks.
How to Confirm the Current Fee Schedule
Since the college does not publish a fixed tuition amount for public reference, prospective and current students should follow this process to get accurate, current figures:
- Contact the Academic Registry of Holy Rosary Hospital, Emekuku, directly by phone or in person for the current session’s fee breakdown.
- Log in to the student portal after receiving an admission offer to view the personalised fee schedule tied to your specific programme and intake.
- Confirm the designated payment channel (typically Remita, based on the platform used for the application fee) before making any transfer, and avoid paying through any unofficial or third-party account.
- Request a receipt or confirmation of payment immediately after transacting, and retain it for registration and clearance purposes.
Following this process protects students from inaccurate figures that sometimes circulate informally and ensures payment goes through the school’s recognised channel.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the application fee for the College of Nursing Sciences, Emekuku?
The application fee is ₦7,500 for the Basic Nursing programme and ₦8,500 for the Post Basic Midwifery programme, paid through the school’s Remita platform.
Is the full tuition fee for Emekuku published publicly?
No. The college communicates the full fee schedule directly to admitted students through the student portal rather than publishing a fixed figure for the general public.
Do freshers pay more than returning students?
Generally yes, because freshers pay one-off charges such as uniform and practical kit fees and certain registration costs that returning students do not pay again.
What programmes does the college run, and how do their fees differ in scope?
The college runs a three-year Basic Nursing programme starting in September and a Post Basic Nursing/Midwifery specialisation starting in March, with the Basic Nursing track carrying a higher cumulative cost due to its longer duration.
Who should a prospective student contact for the exact current fee?
The Academic Registry or Bursary Department of Holy Rosary Hospital, Emekuku, or the student portal after admission is confirmed.