Kings College of Nursing Sciences (KCNS) is a private nursing training institution located at Uratta Road, Umudula, Orji, in Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo State. The college runs diploma and certificate nursing programmes and admits students from Imo State and neighbouring regions. Anyone applying for admission, or already enrolled and preparing for a new session, needs a clear picture of what the fees involve and how the cost differs between a fresher and a returning student. This article sets that out directly.
About the Institution
Kings College of Nursing Sciences positions itself around developing skilled and knowledgeable healthcare professionals through structured, nationally aligned nursing training. It offers hybrid learning arrangements and admits candidates ranging from recent secondary school graduates to adult learners seeking a career change into healthcare. As a privately owned institution rather than a state or federal college, its fee structure follows the general pattern common to private nursing training providers in Nigeria: tuition is set and administered directly by the college’s own management rather than subsidised by government funding, which places its cost above what is typically charged at public colleges of nursing.
Admission into the nursing programme requires candidates to be at least 18 years of age and to hold five credits in the West African School Certificate Examination, GCE Ordinary Level, National Examination Council (NECO), or NABTEB results. Applicants are also required to submit a birth certificate or declaration of age, testimonials or attestation letters from previously attended schools, a marriage certificate where applicable, and passport photographs as part of the application package.
Programme Duration and Tuition Structure
The nursing programme at Kings College of Nursing Sciences runs for three years. Based on the college’s own enrollment and application documentation, the annual tuition fee for the programme is fixed at ₦800,000 per session, while the application fee charged to prospective candidates is ₦25,000. This places the total three-year programme cost, tuition alone, in the region of ₦2,400,000 before accounting for additional charges such as accommodation, uniforms, clinical kits, and other administrative fees that typically accompany nursing training.
Because the college is a private institution, this tuition figure sits considerably higher than what a student would pay at a state or federal college of nursing, where subsidised public funding keeps the yearly charge in a much lower bracket. Prospective applicants comparing training options should weigh this cost difference against factors such as available clinical exposure, hostel facilities, class size, and support services offered by the private institution.
What Fresh Students Pay
A newly admitted student’s first-session bill at Kings College of Nursing Sciences includes the application fee paid at the point of applying, followed by the full annual tuition fee once admission is confirmed. Beyond these two core charges, fresh students should also expect to budget for:
- Application fee of ₦25,000, paid before admission is granted
- Annual tuition fee of ₦800,000 for the first year of the three-year programme
- Acceptance fee, paid once an admission offer is confirmed, as is standard across nursing training institutions
- Medical screening fee, covering health checks required before clinical training begins
- Uniform and clinical kit fee, covering the nursing uniform, cap, and starter set of clinical instruments
- Registration and ID card charges, tied to matriculation into the programme
- Hostel accommodation fee, for students who choose to live in college-provided housing
Because tuition of this scale is a significant financial commitment, prospective students and their sponsors should plan well ahead of the resumption date to ensure the full amount, along with the associated one-time charges, is available before the enrollment deadline.
What Returning Students Pay
From the second year of the programme onward, a returning student’s bill removes the one-time charges tied to first admission, such as the application fee, acceptance fee, and initial medical screening. What typically remains each session includes:
- Annual tuition fee, charged at the same or a comparable rate to the first year, subject to periodic review by the college’s management
- Clinical/practical fee, covering continued hospital ward attachment and supervised practice
- Hostel fee, if the student continues residing in college accommodation
- Examination fee, paid ahead of internal or regulatory nursing examinations
- Library and departmental charges
Returning students are generally expected to clear any outstanding balance from a previous session before being permitted to register for the new session, consistent with standard practice across private nursing training institutions.
Fee Comparison: Freshers vs Returning Students
| Fee Category | Fresh Students | Returning Students |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | ₦25,000, paid once before admission | Does not apply |
| Annual tuition | ₦800,000 for year one | Charged again each subsequent year |
| Acceptance fee | Charged once, after admission offer | Does not apply |
| Medical screening | Charged at entry | Does not apply |
| Uniform/clinical kit | Full kit charged | Only if replacement is needed |
| Registration/ID card | Charged | Minor renewal charge, if any |
| Hostel fee | Charged if resident | Charged if resident |
| Clinical/practical fee | Included from first session | Charged every session |
| Examination fee | Charged before first exams | Charged every session before exams |
This comparison shows that while tuition itself remains a recurring annual cost across all three years of the programme, the fresher’s year-one bill carries the heaviest additional load because of the application, acceptance, medical, and kit charges bundled into first admission.
Admission Requirements and How They Affect Enrolment
To gain admission into Kings College of Nursing Sciences, a candidate must meet the minimum age requirement of 18 years and present five credits from WASSCE, GCE O’Level, NECO, or NABTEB. Supporting documents required at the point of application include a birth certificate or age declaration, testimonials from previously attended institutions, a marriage certificate for married applicants, and passport photographs. Since the college also accepts direct-entry and transfer applicants into ongoing sessions, candidates coming through this route should confirm with the admission office whether a different fee arrangement applies compared to a candidate entering as a fresh first-year student, since transfer students sometimes carry a different combination of charges depending on the year they are entering.
Payment Procedure
The standard process for settling fees at the college generally follows this pattern:
- The candidate pays the application fee to obtain and process the enrollment form.
- Once an admission offer is confirmed, the candidate pays the acceptance fee to secure the slot.
- The full annual tuition fee is paid into the college’s officially designated account ahead of resumption.
- Proof of payment is submitted to the college’s administration or bursary as required for enrollment documentation.
- The college issues a payment confirmation or receipt, which becomes necessary for course registration and eventual examination clearance.
Because private nursing institutions typically communicate updated banking details directly to admitted students, applicants should avoid paying into any account not explicitly confirmed by the college’s official administration for the current session.
Why Private Nursing College Fees Differ From Public Ones
The tuition level at Kings College of Nursing Sciences reflects the broader reality that privately run nursing training institutions in Nigeria operate without government subsidy, meaning the full cost of facilities, clinical training arrangements, staffing, and administration is passed directly to students. This is a pattern seen consistently across private nursing and health science colleges nationwide, where annual fees commonly run from several hundred thousand naira upward, compared to public colleges of nursing where state or federal funding keeps tuition considerably lower. A prospective student weighing this institution against a public alternative should factor in not just the naira figure but also considerations such as admission competitiveness, waiting time for public college slots, and the clinical training partnerships available through the private institution.
Factors That Affect the Total a Student Pays
Several variables influence the final amount a given student pays across the three-year programme:
- Accommodation choice — students who lodge privately instead of using the college hostel avoid that portion of the bill.
- Entry route — direct-entry or transfer candidates may carry a different combination of charges compared to a first-year fresher.
- Timing of payment — settling fees within the stipulated period avoids potential late-payment penalties.
- Tuition review — since tuition is set by the college’s own management, the figure is subject to periodic review and may differ slightly from one admission cycle to the next.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is tuition at Kings College of Nursing Sciences, Owerri?
Based on the college’s enrollment documentation, tuition is set at ₦800,000 per session for the three-year nursing programme.
Is the application fee separate from tuition?
Yes. The application fee of ₦25,000 is paid to process the enrollment form and is separate from the annual tuition charge.
Do returning students pay the application fee again?
No. The application fee applies only once, at the point of first applying to the college.
Does tuition stay the same across all three years of the programme?
Tuition is generally charged annually at a comparable rate each session, though the figure is subject to periodic review by the college’s management, so returning students should confirm the current rate each year.
What documents are required at the point of application?
A birth certificate or declaration of age, testimonials or attestation letters from previous schools, a marriage certificate if applicable, and passport photographs, alongside the minimum five credits from WASSCE, GCE, NECO, or NABTEB.
Conclusion
Kings College of Nursing Sciences, Owerri, charges an annual tuition fee of ₦800,000 across its three-year nursing programme, with an additional ₦25,000 application fee paid before admission. Freshers carry the heaviest first-year cost due to application, acceptance, medical, and kit charges bundled into initial enrolment, while returning students face a lighter combination limited mainly to tuition, practical, and examination fees each session. Given that private institutions periodically review their tuition rates, any prospective or continuing student preparing for the 2026/2027 academic session should confirm the current exact figures directly with the college’s admission office before making payment.