Imo State College of Nursing Sciences, Orlu (commonly referred to as ICONS Orlu) is a state-owned nursing training institution in Imo State, fully accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) for the award of the Registered Nurse (RN) certificate. The college trains students through its Department of General Nursing and Department of Public Health Nursing, and it also runs a Post Basic Midwifery programme for candidates who already hold a nursing qualification. Prospective and current students consistently ask how much the college charges, what freshers pay compared to returning students, and how the entire payment process works. This article covers all of that directly for the 2026/2027 academic session and beyond.
About Imo State College of Nursing Sciences, Orlu
ICONS Orlu began in 2013 as the Department of General Nursing under the then Imo State College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Amaigbo. In 2016, following a law enacted by the Imo State House of Assembly, the state government demerged this department and granted it autonomy as a standalone institution: Imo State College of Nursing Sciences, Orlu. The college received full NMCN accreditation in 2018, which allows it to award the Registered Nurse certificate to students who successfully complete the programme and pass the qualifying examination.
The college currently runs the following programmes:
- General Nursing — the core Basic Nursing programme leading to Registered Nurse (RN) status.
- Public Health Nursing — a specialised nursing track focused on community and public health practice.
- Post Basic Midwifery — a programme open to candidates who are already Registered Nurses and wish to add midwifery qualification.
Admission requirements for the General Nursing programme include a JAMB UTME result, with the college selected as first choice institution, and five O’Level credit passes in English Language, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics, obtained from WAEC, NECO, or an equivalent examination body in not more than two sittings. Candidates who did not originally select the college as their first choice, but who meet the entry cut-off, are required to change their first-choice institution through the JAMB portal before the application deadline. After document verification, shortlisted candidates sit the college’s own entrance aptitude test as part of the admission screening process.
An important notice students should be aware of: the college’s management has publicly stated that it does not sell admission or Post-UTME forms online, and that every stage of the admission process is conducted physically within the school. Prospective candidates are strongly advised to disregard any website, agent, or online portal claiming to sell ICONS Orlu admission forms on the college’s behalf, since the college has stated clearly that it will not be held liable for fraudulent transactions carried out through such channels.
Application Process and Form Purchase
Because the admission process is handled in person rather than through an external online sales portal, candidates typically follow these steps to obtain and complete their application:
- Visit the college’s Bursary Department in person to pay the application fee.
- Collect a Portal Login PIN from the Bursary after payment is confirmed.
- Proceed to the college’s official website to access the “New Admission” section using the issued login PIN.
- Complete the online application form with accurate personal, academic, and JAMB details.
- Submit the form online, then print a copy for personal records.
- Return the printed form and payment receipt to the Admissions Unit for final submission and verification.
- Await notification of the entrance aptitude test date and, where applicable, an interview.
Candidates who apply after the stated deadline are generally not considered for that admission cycle, so early application is advised.
School Fees for Freshers
Once a candidate successfully passes the entrance screening and receives an admission offer, the college releases a fee schedule specifically for newly admitted students. This schedule is higher than what returning students pay, because it bundles several one-time charges together with the regular recurring academic fees. A typical breakdown of what freshers are billed for at ICONS Orlu includes:
- Acceptance fee — paid immediately after admission is offered, to confirm that the candidate is taking up the 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.
- 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 be working directly with patients.
- 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.
- Library fee — grants access to the college’s library resources.
- Development levy — supports the maintenance of college infrastructure and facilities.
- Examination fee — covers internal continuous assessment and end-of-session examinations.
- Hostel accommodation fee — charged separately and only applies to students who apply for and are allocated a hostel space, since accommodation is not automatically bundled into every fresher’s fee.
Because acceptance, matriculation, ID card issuance, and first-time medical screening are one-off charges, a fresher’s overall bill for the first session is consistently the highest a student pays across the full duration of the programme, even though the tuition component itself may stay close to what returning students pay in subsequent years.
School Fees for Returning Students
Returning students, meaning those who have completed at least one level of the General Nursing, Public Health Nursing, or Post Basic Midwifery programme and are progressing to the next stage, are billed differently. Since the acceptance fee, matriculation charge, and first-time medical screening from year one do not repeat, a returning student’s fee schedule is comparatively lighter. Typical charges for returning students include:
- Tuition fee for the new session
- Development levy
- Library fee
- Laboratory and clinical practicum fee
- 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 total for the session is consistently lower than a fresher’s total, even in sessions where tuition itself remains unchanged.
Fresher vs Returning Student Fees: A Comparison
The table below summarizes which charges apply to freshers and which apply to returning students at Imo State College of Nursing Sciences, Orlu. It is structured to show 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 specific amounts can change from one academic year to the next.
| Fee Component | Freshers | Returning Students |
|---|---|---|
| Application/entrance form fee | Paid before admission | Not applicable |
| 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 fee | Paid | Paid |
| Laboratory/clinical practicum 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 sessions | Lower than freshers’ total |
Hostel Accommodation at ICONS Orlu
Hostel accommodation is billed separately from the standard school fees and is not automatically included in either the fresher’s or the returning student’s fee package. Students who want to secure a hostel space must apply through the college’s accommodation process and pay the applicable charge once allocated a room. Hostel charges can also vary depending on room type and whether a student opts for a shared or more private arrangement, so students planning to live on campus should confirm current hostel rates directly with the college’s accommodation office rather than relying on figures from a previous session.
How Payment Is Made
Payment at Imo State College of Nursing Sciences, Orlu, generally follows this process:
- Confirm the admission offer through the official notification issued by the college.
- Obtain the current session’s approved fee schedule directly from the Bursary Department, confirming whether it is the fresher’s schedule or the returning students’ schedule.
- Make payment through the Bursary or any designated bank/payment channel the college specifies for that session.
- Retain the payment receipt as proof of payment and submit it to the Bursary or Admissions Unit as instructed.
- Proceed with course registration and, where applicable, hostel accommodation application, once payment is confirmed.
Students are strongly advised to make all payments only through the college’s official Bursary or verified payment channels, and never through unofficial online agents or third-party portals, in line with the college’s own public warning about fraudulent admission and payment schemes operating in its name.
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
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.
Does ICONS Orlu sell admission forms online?
No. The college has publicly stated that it does not sell admission or Post-UTME forms online and that the entire admission process is conducted physically within the school. Prospective candidates should disregard any third-party website or agent claiming otherwise.
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.
What programmes does the college run besides General Nursing?
The college also runs a Public Health Nursing programme and a Post Basic Midwifery programme for candidates who are already Registered Nurses.
Where can students confirm the exact current fee amount?
The exact figures for the current session are obtained directly from the college’s Bursary Department at the point of registration, or through the official channels listed on the college’s website. 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.