JAMB RULES OUT INCREASE IN COST OF FEES FOR UTME AND DIRECT ENTRY 2026 CANDIDATES

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has given assurances that there would be no increase in the current application fees for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and Direct Entry (DE), easing concerns among parents, guardians and prospective candidates amid prevailing economic pressures.

With the clarification, candidates preparing for the 2026 jamb exams.
The assurance was contained in a statement issued Monday by the Board via its official publication, JAMBulletin, titled “No Likely Increase in UTME/DE Application Fees as JAMB Maintains Stable Cost Regime.”
According to JAMB, it has not increased the cost of its application documents for either UTME or DE in the last nine years but has, in fact, reduced registration fees within the period under the current administration.

It partly reads: “The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board wishes to inform Nigerians, particularly parents, guardians and prospective candidates, that the Board has not increased the cost of its application documents, whether for UTME or Direct Entry, in the last nine years.”

The Board further assured that it was “unlikely to increase the cost of application documents for the 2026 UTME/DE exercise, except where it becomes absolutely expedient to do so in the overriding interest of sustaining the integrity and quality of the examination process in the future.”

JAMB explained that the decision aligns with the directive of President Bola Tinubu, conveyed through the Minister of Education, that all activities of the Board must reflect the administration’s “human-face policies,” while taking into account the harsh economic realities confronting Nigerian families.

“This clarification is intended to properly guide members of the public who wish to plan ahead for the education of their children. The cost implication for the 2026 exercise remains largely the same as that of the previous year.”

The examination body advised parents and guardians to make early preparations and ensure the timely registration of their wards once the process begins, warning that there would be no extension of the registration window.

JAMB also highlighted its financial prudence, noting that despite maintaining relatively low fees, it has continued to operate efficiently and remit substantial revenues to the Federal Government over the years.

“Despite this downward review of fees, the Board has continued to operate efficiently and prudently, resulting in substantial remittances to the Federal Government. This underscores JAMB’s commitment to accountability, transparency, and effective public-sector financial management.”

Reaffirming its mandate, the Board stressed that it remains committed to fairness, affordability and transparency, while sustaining global best practices in the conduct of its examinations.