UNILAG Clarifies Fee Structure, Denies Fresh Increase in Student Charges

The University of Lagos (UNILAG) has refuted claims of a new increment in tuition or related fees for undergraduate students, following concerns raised by students over changes observed on their payment portals earlier this week.

In a statement issued by the Head of the Communication Unit, Mrs. Adejoke Alaga-Ibraheem, the university explained that the recent adjustments in the displayed amounts were not due to a fee hike, but rather the integration of previously approved faculty and departmental dues into the central payment system.

According to Mrs. Alaga-Ibraheem, the adjustment complies with the directive of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFund), which mandates all institutions to consolidate every student-related payment into one unified platform.

“This ensures that once students make payment through their official portal, no other payment will be collected at the faculty and departmental levels,” she clarified.

A review of the payment details for returning students revealed that while there was no major increase in total payable amounts, certain existing fees were adjusted and a few new components were reflected on the consolidated bill.

For instance, the UNILAG Tertiary Institutions Students Health Insurance Programme (TISHIP) fee increased from ₦5,000 to ₦7,500, while the combined faculty and departmental dues, previously ₦2,000, now appear as ₦15,000 under the new structure.

Other reflected charges include Entrepreneurship (₦5,000), Portal Maintenance (₦15,000), Student Insurance Policy (₦1,250), Student Support Services (₦1,250), Professional Services (₦7,500), and General Studies (GST) (₦5,000).

The university maintained that these charges were not newly introduced, but had always existed outside the main payment portal. Mrs. Alaga-Ibraheem reiterated that the integration is intended to improve transparency, simplify payments, and ensure students’ eligibility for full NELFund coverage.

“What we have done is in the best interest of the students so that when they apply for NELFund, they get funding that covers every bill they pay in school through a central system,” she affirmed.