Sacred Heart College of Nursing Sciences, Lantoro, sits within the grounds of Sacred Heart Hospital in Lantoro, Abeokuta, Ogun State. It is a Catholic mission institution that has trained nurses and midwives since 1950, and every candidate weighing admission there needs a clear picture of what the school costs, how the fee obligations differ for a fresher compared to a returning student, and how payment is structured. This article covers that ground directly.
About Sacred Heart College of Nursing Sciences, Lantoro
The institution traces its origin to 1950, when it began life as a School of Midwifery under the Catholic Diocese of Abeokuta. In 1998, it was reorganized into a School of Nursing, and it has since been upgraded further into the Sacred Heart College of Nursing Sciences. The college remains under the proprietorship of the Catholic Diocese of Abeokuta, currently headed by Most Rev’d Dr. Peter Olukayode Odetoyinbo, and it operates as a private missionary institution rather than a state- or federally-funded one. It sits on the same premises as Sacred Heart Hospital, one of the oldest hospitals in Nigeria, giving students direct access to clinical training within the hospital environment as part of their nursing education. The school currently trains roughly 150 students at a time across its programme levels, run by a dedicated body of academic and administrative staff under its current Principal.
Admission Requirements at a Glance
Before addressing fees, it helps to understand who is eligible to apply, since the fee obligations only begin once a candidate has secured a place. Sacred Heart College of Nursing Sciences admits candidates into its Nursing programme through the standard national route used by accredited nursing institutions in Nigeria:
- A minimum JAMB/UTME score, historically set at 180 and above for candidates applying or seeking a change of institution to the college.
- A minimum age requirement, generally expected to be at least 16 to 17 years at the point of admission.
- Five O’Level credit passes, including English Language, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, obtained at not more than two sittings.
- Successful completion of the college’s own screening and interview process after the JAMB stage.
The admission form for the Nursing programme is typically released in the early part of the year, with the application window commonly opening around February or March and running through several months, and admission is handled exclusively through the school’s own admission office rather than through third-party agents.
What Determines the Fee a Student Pays
Nursing training combines classroom instruction with hands-on clinical practice in an affiliated hospital, and the fee structure at Sacred Heart College of Nursing Sciences reflects that combination. Several factors shape what a particular student ends up paying in a given session:
- Level of study — a first-year (fresher) student takes on a wider set of one-off charges tied to entry into the school, in addition to the recurring academic fees that every student pays regardless of level.
- Accommodation choice — students who take hostel accommodation, whether provided by the school or arranged privately nearby, pay an additional charge that a student living off-campus without hostel arrangements does not.
- Uniform and clinical kit needs — freshers generally purchase their nursing uniforms and basic clinical materials at entry; returning students typically only replace these items if needed.
- Annual review by the school’s management — as with most private nursing training institutions in Nigeria, the fee schedule is reviewed from one academic session to the next, so a figure that applied in one session should not be assumed to carry over unchanged into the next.
Because the school’s management reserves the right to review fees each session and does not publish a fixed, permanent fee table, the safest and most accurate source for the exact current figures for the 2026/2027 session is the school’s own admission office or the notices issued alongside the admission form. What follows is a breakdown of the fee components a fresher and a returning student should each expect to encounter.
Fee Components for Fresh Students (Freshers)
A candidate gaining admission into Sacred Heart College of Nursing Sciences for the first time takes on a broader set of charges than a continuing student, because entry into the school comes with obligations that do not repeat in later years. These typically include:
- Application/registration fee — paid at the point of purchasing the admission form, historically set at a modest fixed amount, to process the candidate’s application into the school’s admission system.
- Acceptance fee — paid once an offer of admission is confirmed, to secure the candidate’s place in the incoming class.
- Tuition fee — the core academic charge covering lectures, course instruction, and use of the school’s academic facilities for the session.
- Caution fee — a refundable deposit held against damage to school property, standard practice across most Nigerian tertiary institutions.
- Medical fee — covers an entry medical screening or health documentation exercise new students undergo before resumption.
- Uniform and clinical kit fee — freshers are required to procure their nursing uniforms, name tags, and basic practical materials early in the programme.
- Library and examination fees — cover access to the school’s library resources and internal continuous assessment and end-of-session examinations.
- Hostel/accommodation fee (where applicable) — students who choose hostel accommodation, either within the school’s facilities or through arrangements near the Lantoro area, pay an additional charge; students who arrange their own off-campus housing independently do not pay this to the school directly, though private accommodation in the area typically carries its own market cost.
Because freshers carry both the recurring academic charges and the one-off entry charges together, their total first-session bill is naturally higher than what a returning student pays in an ordinary session.
Fee Components for Returning Students
Returning students — those already enrolled and progressing to the next level of the programme — pay a lighter schedule, since they have already settled the one-time entry charges during their first session. Their fees generally cover:
- Tuition fee for the new session/level.
- Library and examination fees, renewed each session.
- Hostel/accommodation fee, only if the student chooses to renew or take up accommodation for that session.
- Uniform/clinical kit replacement, only where needed, rather than as a standard annual charge.
Returning students are generally expected to clear outstanding fees before the start of a new session or before being permitted to sit for examinations, and the school communicates payment deadlines directly to enrolled students each session.
Fresher vs. Returning Student Fees: Quick Comparison
| Fee Component | Fresh Students | Returning Students |
|---|---|---|
| Application/registration fee | Paid once, at application stage | Not applicable |
| Acceptance fee | Paid once, on admission | Not applicable |
| Tuition fee | Paid every session | Paid every session |
| Caution fee | Paid once, refundable at completion | Not applicable (already on file) |
| Medical screening fee | Paid at entry | Not applicable in most cases |
| Uniform/clinical kit | Paid at entry | Paid only if replacement is needed |
| Library and examination fees | Paid | Paid |
| Hostel/accommodation fee | Optional, based on housing choice | Optional, renewed if retained |
| Overall cost pattern | Higher, due to one-off entry charges | Lower, mainly recurring charges |
How Payment Works at Sacred Heart College of Nursing Sciences
The school allows fees to be paid either in full or, in many sessions, in installments, which gives parents and guardians some flexibility in spreading the cost across the term or session, though this arrangement is subject to the school management’s discretion for that particular session. The general process a student follows is:
- Confirm admission status with the school’s admission office once JAMB and screening results are processed.
- Obtain the current fee schedule directly from the admission office or from official notices issued to newly admitted and continuing students, since the exact figures are reviewed each session.
- Make payment through the school’s approved channel, typically a designated bank account or payment platform specified by the bursary, rather than through informal or third-party arrangements.
- Retain proof of payment, such as a bank teller or receipt, since this is required during registration and clearance.
- Complete registration and clearance for the session once payment is confirmed, which for freshers includes physical documentation and medical screening as instructed.
Students should be aware that late payment can attract additional charges or restrictions, including the possibility of being unable to sit for semester examinations until outstanding fees are settled, so confirming and meeting payment deadlines each session is important.
Why the Exact Fee Amount Is Not Fixed Year to Year
Prospective and returning students sometimes look for one permanent figure that applies indefinitely, but that expectation does not match how a private, mission-run nursing training institution like Sacred Heart College of Nursing Sciences typically operates. The cost of running a nursing programme — clinical placement arrangements within the affiliated hospital, staff remuneration, facility maintenance, and consumables for practical training — shifts from year to year in response to the wider economy. For this reason, the school’s management reviews its fee schedule before each new admission cycle rather than publishing one fixed table that stays valid for multiple sessions. Anyone budgeting for the 2026/2027 session should treat any previous session’s figures only as a general guide and confirm the current amount directly from the school before making any payment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Sacred Heart College of Nursing Sciences charge the same fee for every level of the Nursing programme?
No. While the core fee components stay largely consistent, freshers pay additional one-off entry charges — such as acceptance, caution, and medical fees — that returning students at higher levels do not pay again.
Is the application or acceptance fee refundable if a candidate later withdraws?
Application and acceptance fees at most private nursing institutions, including missionary-run ones like Sacred Heart, are generally treated as non-refundable once paid, since they cover processing and confirm a secured admission slot.
Can school fees be paid in installments?
The school has, in past sessions, allowed payment in installments to ease the burden on parents and guardians, though this is subject to the management’s discretion for each particular session, so candidates should confirm the current arrangement with the admission office.
Where can a student get the exact, current fee amount for the 2026/2027 session?
The most reliable source is the school’s own admission office, since the fee schedule is reviewed each session and is not published as a permanent, unchanging table.
Does the fee cover hostel accommodation?
Hostel or accommodation charges are generally separate from the core academic fee and depend on whether a student chooses school-arranged housing or accommodation within the Lantoro area; students should confirm accommodation costs and availability directly with the school alongside their academic fee schedule.