St. Anthony College of Nursing Sciences, Aba, is a nursing training institution in Abia State licensed by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN). The college runs National Diploma/Higher National Diploma (ND/HND) Nursing programmes as well as a Bachelor of Nursing Science (BNSc) track, giving candidates more than one route into the nursing profession depending on their entry qualification and JAMB status. Prospective and current students frequently ask what the college charges, how fees differ between newly admitted students and those continuing an already-started programme, and how payment is made. This article addresses those questions directly for the 2026/2027 academic session and beyond.
About St. Anthony College of Nursing Sciences, Aba
The college operates as a private nursing institution in Aba, Abia State, and its licensing under the NMCN allows it to train candidates toward Registered Nurse (RN) status and related nursing qualifications. Because it runs both ND/HND and BNSc programmes, applicants are grouped according to the specific track they are pursuing, and the entry requirements, though broadly similar, are matched against the appropriate programme during screening. The college requires candidates to have a JAMB UTME result, alongside a set of O’Level and supporting documents, before they are considered for admission.
Admission requirements for prospective students at the college include:
- A JAMB UTME result slip, which candidates must present regardless of the institution they originally selected on their JAMB profile.
- Five O’Level credit passes in English Language, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, and Biology, obtained from WAEC, NECO, GCE, or NABTEB, in not more than two sittings.
- A birth certificate.
- A testimonial from the last school attended.
- Two passport photographs.
- A marriage certificate, required only where the applicant is married.
Candidates who meet these requirements proceed to purchase and complete the college’s admission form, after which they are scheduled for the college’s own screening exercise before an admission offer is confirmed.
Application and Screening Fee
Before gaining admission, prospective candidates are required to pay a UTME screening fee, which currently stands at ₦30,000 and is described by the college as non-refundable. This fee is paid directly through the college’s Bursary Department rather than through third-party agents, and it covers registration for the entrance screening exercise that the college conducts for prospective candidates. Candidates should note that this screening fee is separate from, and paid before, the full school fees charged once admission is confirmed.
School Fees for Freshers
Once a candidate successfully completes screening and receives an admission offer, the college issues a fee schedule specifically for newly admitted students. Like most Nigerian nursing training institutions, this fresher’s schedule is higher than what continuing students pay in later sessions, because it bundles one-time entry charges together with the recurring academic fees. A typical breakdown of what freshers are billed for includes:
- Acceptance fee — paid to confirm that the candidate is taking up the offered admission 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 exercise.
- 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 handle patients during ward postings.
- Uniform and clinical kit fee — covers the first set of ward uniform and basic nursing practical materials.
- Departmental and laboratory fee — covers use of the skills laboratory and consumables needed for practical training.
- Library and ICT fee — grants access to the college library and computer-based learning resources.
- Development levy — supports the upkeep of college infrastructure and facilities.
- Examination fee — covers internal continuous assessment and end-of-session examinations.
- Hostel accommodation fee — billed separately for students who apply for and are allocated hostel space, since accommodation is not automatically included in every fresher’s fee package.
Because these one-time charges apply only in the first year, a fresher’s total bill for the opening session is consistently the highest a student pays across the entire duration of the programme.
School Fees for Returning Students
Returning students, meaning those who have completed at least one level of the ND/HND or BNSc programme and are progressing to the next, are billed differently from freshers. The acceptance fee, matriculation charge, first-time medical screening, and first uniform/kit issue are all one-off items that do not repeat, so a returning student’s schedule is comparatively lighter. Typical charges for returning students include:
- Tuition fee for the new session
- Development levy
- Library and ICT 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 overall total for the session is consistently lower than a fresher’s total, even in sessions where tuition itself has not changed.
Fresher vs Returning Student Fees: A Comparison
The table below sets out which charges apply to freshers and which apply to returning students at St. Anthony College of Nursing Sciences, Aba. It is structured to clarify the pattern of charges rather than fixed amounts, since the college reviews and republishes its official fee schedule at the start of each session, and specific figures can shift from one academic year to the next.
| Fee Component | Freshers | Returning Students |
|---|---|---|
| UTME screening fee | Paid before admission (₦30,000) | 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/ICT 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 |
ND/HND Nursing vs BNSc Nursing: How Fees Relate to Programme Choice
Because St. Anthony College of Nursing Sciences runs more than one programme, candidates should confirm which track their fee schedule corresponds to before making payment. The ND/HND route and the BNSc route differ in curriculum depth, accreditation body oversight, and, in many institutions offering both, the tuition and levy structure attached to each. A candidate should not assume that the fee schedule for the ND/HND programme automatically applies to the BNSc programme, or vice versa, and should request the fee circular that matches the exact programme indicated on their admission letter.
How Payment Is Made
Payment at St. Anthony College of Nursing Sciences, Aba, follows a process similar to what applies across most Nigerian nursing and health training institutions:
- Confirm the admission offer and note the specific programme (ND/HND or BNSc) indicated on the admission letter.
- Obtain the current session’s fee schedule directly from the college’s Bursary Department, confirming whether it is the fresher’s schedule or the returning students’ schedule.
- Make payment through the Bursary Department or any designated bank/payment channel the college specifies, since payments made outside official channels are not recognized by the college.
- Retain the payment receipt or evidence of payment and submit it to the Bursary or upload it where an online portal is provided.
- Proceed with course registration and, where applicable, hostel application, once the Bursary confirms payment.
Candidates are advised to purchase admission forms and pay fees only through the official Bursary Department or verified college contacts, since fraudulent actors sometimes pose as agents selling forms or promising admission slots outside official channels.
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 UTME screening fee refundable if a candidate is not offered admission?
No. The college describes the ₦30,000 screening fee as non-refundable, regardless of the outcome of the screening exercise.
Does St. Anthony College of Nursing Sciences require a JAMB score for admission?
Yes. Candidates must present a JAMB UTME result slip as part of the admission requirements, alongside the required O’Level credits.
Is hostel accommodation compulsory for freshers?
No. Hostel accommodation is billed separately from the standard school fees and depends on whether a student applies for and is allocated a hostel space for that session.
Do ND/HND and BNSc students pay the same fees?
Not necessarily. The two programmes can carry different fee structures, so candidates should confirm the fee schedule that corresponds specifically to the programme stated on their admission letter.
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. 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.