JAMB Confirms 2026 UTME and DE Fees Will Not Increase

By Olusegun Fapohunda Updated on Jan 08, 2026

Summary

JAMB says it does not plan to raise the 2026 UTME and Direct Entry application fees, keeping costs broadly the same as the previous year. It also says there will be no extension to the registration period once it opens.

JAMB says there has been no increase in UTME/DE application document costs for nine years.
JAMB says registration fees have been reduced within that period under the current administration.
For 2026, JAMB says a fee rise is unlikely, unless it becomes necessary to protect the integrity and quality of the exams.
JAMB links its position to a directive from President Bola Tinubu, conveyed through the Minister of Education, on ‘human-face policies’.
JAMB says the clarification is meant to help families plan early for education costs.
Parents and guardians are advised to prepare early and register wards on time; JAMB says there will be no extension of the registration window.

JAMB says 2026 UTME/DE fees stay same

JAMB confirms 2026 UTME and Direct Entry application fees remain unchanged

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says it will not increase the current application fees for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and Direct Entry (DE). The assurance is presented as a response to concerns from parents, guardians, and prospective candidates, set against ongoing economic pressure on households.

JAMB says the cost implication for the 2026 exercise remains largely the same as the previous year. The statement is framed as a planning guide for families who want to make early arrangements for a child’s education (and avoid last-minute pressure when registration opens).

The nine-year position JAMB sets out

JAMB says it has not increased the cost of its application documents for UTME or Direct Entry for nine years. It also says that, within that same period, registration fees have been reduced under the current administration.

In its words, the Board states that it has not raised the cost of application documents, whether for UTME or for Direct Entry, over that nine-year span. This point sits at the centre of the reassurance being offered to candidates and families.

Why JAMB says a fee rise is unlikely, with one stated exception

JAMB says it is unlikely to increase the cost of application documents for the 2026 UTME/DE exercise. Still, it leaves a narrow condition: a change could happen if it becomes “absolutely expedient” and is judged to be in the overriding interest of sustaining the integrity and quality of the examination process in future.

That caveat is brief, but clear; the Board ties any possible change to exam standards, not to routine adjustments.

The link to the Presidency and the Ministry of Education

JAMB says its decision follows a directive from President Bola Tinubu, conveyed through the Minister of Education. The directive, as described by JAMB, is that the Board’s activities must reflect the administration’s “human-face policies”, while also taking account of the harsh economic realities faced by Nigerian families.

The Board presents this as the policy basis for keeping the 2026 cost broadly consistent with the prior year.

What JAMB asks families and candidates to do next

JAMB advises parents and guardians to prepare early and ensure timely registration for their wards once registration begins. It also warns that there will be no extension of the registration window.

The message is straightforward: anyone planning for the 2026 UTME or Direct Entry should be ready to act within the set period, because the deadline will stand.