NOUN Abolishes Application Fees; Admission Surges

The National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN, has abolished application fees for all its programmes, in a move expected to further boost enrolment at the institution and open its doors to more Nigerians seeking university education.

The decision, which takes immediate effect, was announced by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Uduma Oji Uduma, at the end of the university’s 127th Management Meeting held on Tuesday, November 10, 2026.

Under the new policy, prospective students seeking admission into Undergraduate, Postgraduate Diploma and Master’s programmes will no longer be required to pay application fees. The arrangement will commence with the 2027_1 admission exercise.

The development comes at a time NOUN has continued to attract increasing numbers of applicants, particularly working-class Nigerians and holders of National Diploma (ND) certificates seeking to advance their education and obtain university degrees.

For many ND holders, NOUN has become an attractive option for upgrading their qualifications to degree level without necessarily abandoning their jobs or other commitments. Similarly, workers in both the public and private sectors have increasingly embraced the institution because of its flexible academic programmes, which allow them to combine work with studies.

Unlike the conventional university system, where students are generally required to attend lectures and academic activities within fixed schedules, NOUN’s open and distance learning structure offers students greater flexibility in managing their time and pursuing higher education.

This has made the institution an important alternative for Nigerians who, for various reasons, cannot afford to leave their jobs or relocate to attend conventional universities.

The abolition of application fees is therefore expected to remove another financial hurdle for prospective students, particularly those who may have been discouraged by the cost of gaining admission.

Speaking on the decision, Prof. Uduma said the policy reinforces the university’s commitment to inclusiveness and its mandate of removing barriers to access to tertiary education.

With the new arrangement, NOUN is positioning itself to accommodate more Nigerians seeking higher qualifications, especially workers, diploma holders and other categories of prospective students who require a more flexible route to university education.

NOUN was established by the Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration to assist those who could not attend regular university, because of their tight work schedule, to acquire higher degrees at their own convenient time.