If you have just gained admission into the University of Benin (UNIBEN), one of the first things you will want to know is how much you need to pay before you can complete your registration and settle into school.
For a fresher, the amount is not limited to the regular school charges. Newly admitted students also have admission clearance and other charges to take care of, while accommodation is paid separately for students who secure a hostel space.
UNIBEN publishes its charges through its student management portal. The university also makes a distinction between fresh students and returning students when listing its charges.
How Much Is UNIBEN School Fees for Freshers?
UNIBEN’s published undergraduate charges are different for science and non-science students because of differences such as laboratory charges.
The university’s published schedule for full-time undergraduate students shows that charges for fresh students include examination, laboratory, library, sports, ICT, counselling, utility, medical, accreditation, sanitation, bank/portal, development levy and Students’ Union dues.
For students admitted under the published undergraduate schedule, the total school charges were:
| Category | School Charges | Additional Fresher Charges | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Science | ₦95,500 | ₦20,000 | ₦115,500 |
| Non-Science | ₦85,500 | ₦20,000 | ₦105,500 |
The additional ₦20,000 covered orientation brochure, certificate screening, academic gown rental and forensic ID card. UNIBEN also states that a ₦1,200 NUGA charge applies to new students.
However, prospective students should not treat the old ₦105,500 or ₦115,500 figures as the 2026/2027 payable amount. UNIBEN’s current student portal contains newer notices and states that students admitted from the 2024/2025 academic session have an additional ₦5,000 bank/portal/tech charge added to school charges.
This is why the exact amount shown on the student’s UNIBEN payment portal should be used when making payment.
UNIBEN Acceptance Fee for Freshers
School charges are not the only payment a newly admitted student has to make.
UNIBEN also has an acceptance and admission-clearance payment for newly admitted students.
The university’s published acceptance fee schedule lists:
| Payment | Amount |
|---|---|
| Bank/Portal Charges | ₦5,000 |
| Admission Clearance | ₦30,000 |
| ICT Levy | ₦6,000 |
| Maintenance Fee | ₦15,000 |
| MTN Net Library | ₦4,000 |
| College Development Levy for Medical Students | ₦20,000 |
The total listed is ₦60,000 for most newly admitted students and ₦80,000 for College of Medical Sciences candidates.
This payment should therefore be considered separately when calculating the amount needed to start your first year at UNIBEN.
How Much Should a New UNIBEN Student Budget?
A fresher should not calculate the cost of resumption by looking at school charges alone.
A realistic first-year budget can include:
- Acceptance and admission clearance
- School charges
- NUGA charge
- Bank, portal and technology charges
- Certificate screening
- Accommodation, if applicable
- Course materials and textbooks
- Departmental requirements
- Transport
- Feeding
- Personal expenses
Students who will live outside the university campus will also need to budget for rent and other accommodation expenses.
Those who obtain a university hostel space will have a separate accommodation payment.
UNIBEN Hostel Fees for Students
Hostel accommodation is not included in the normal school charges.
UNIBEN’s published hostel schedule lists different amounts depending on the hostel and room arrangement.
For example, the university’s published 2024/2025 hostel charges included:
| Hostel | Published Fee |
|---|---|
| NDDC Hostel | ₦60,000 |
| Hall 5 | ₦46,000 |
| Hall 6 | ₦73,000 |
| Other Hostels – Halls 1–4 | ₦31,000 |
| Festus Akingbola, 2 per room | ₦100,000 |
| Akingbola, 4 per room – Top Bunk | ₦46,000 |
| Akingbola, 4 per room – Down Bunk | ₦71,000 |
| Intercontinental Hostel | ₦100,000 |
| Clinical Hostel | ₦37,000 |
| Hall 7 | ₦116,000 |
| Keystone Hostel | ₦116,000 |
Some newer hostel categories were listed at higher rates, including TETFUND and other named hostels at ₦150,000.
These figures are useful for planning, but students should check the current accommodation notice before paying because hostel charges and available spaces can change from one session to another.
Does UNIBEN School Fees Include Accommodation?
No.
Accommodation is separate from school charges.
A student who does not get a university hostel will have to arrange accommodation independently.
This is one reason parents and newly admitted students should avoid assuming that paying the school charges settles all the expenses for the first session.
What Other Payments Do UNIBEN Freshers Make?
Apart from the main school charges, a new student may encounter several payments connected with admission and registration.
These can include:
Admission clearance
This is one of the payments made after admission and forms part of the process of getting properly cleared as a newly admitted student.
Certificate screening
Fresh students have a certificate-screening charge under UNIBEN’s published schedule.
Orientation
New students are also charged for orientation-related materials under the published fresher schedule.
Academic gown
The published schedule includes an academic gown rental charge for newly admitted students.
Forensic ID card
A forensic identification card charge is also listed for fresh students.
NUGA charge
UNIBEN states that an additional ₦1,200 NUGA charge applies to fresh students on school charges.
Bank/portal/technology charge
UNIBEN’s current portal states that students admitted from the 2024/2025 academic session have an additional ₦5,000 bank/portal/tech charge added to school charges.
Do Science Students Pay More Than Arts Students at UNIBEN?
Generally, science-based programmes can attract higher charges because of laboratory-related fees.
UNIBEN’s published undergraduate schedule shows different laboratory charges for science and non-science students.
Under the published schedule, laboratory charges for fresh science students were ₦15,000, compared with ₦5,000 for non-science students.
Other charges such as examination, library, sports, utility, development levy and several administrative charges were listed at the same rates for both groups.
The exact amount for a particular 2026/2027 programme should, however, be confirmed from the student’s payment invoice because UNIBEN can revise its charges.
When Should Freshers Pay UNIBEN School Fees?
New students should first complete the required admission acceptance and clearance procedures before proceeding with the relevant school charges and registration.
UNIBEN’s student portal provides instructions for students to accept their admission, complete clearance and then proceed with school charges and course registration.
Students should not wait until lectures or examinations are close before checking their payment status.
Once payment is made, keep the receipt and other evidence of payment. They may be required during registration or clearance.
How to Pay UNIBEN School Fees
UNIBEN students use the university’s student management system for their payments and registration.
The university’s student portal is: UNIBEN Student Information and Registration Portal – https://uniben.edu/school_charges or https://waeup.uniben.edu/
Students should log in through the official portal and follow the payment instructions displayed for their account.
Do not send school-fee money to an individual because someone claims to be a UNIBEN agent or admission helper.
Use the payment details generated through the university’s system and keep your payment receipt.
Can UNIBEN School Fees Be Paid in Instalments?
Students should check the payment options displayed on their current UNIBEN portal before making assumptions about instalment payments.
The payment arrangement can depend on the charges and instructions approved by the university for the particular session.
For this reason, claims on social media that “UNIBEN allows everyone to pay school fees in two or three instalments” should not be treated as official unless supported by a university notice.
Does NELFUND Cover UNIBEN Students?
UNIBEN’s student portal currently carries a notice about the availability of interest-free NELFUND loans as financial assistance for full-time undergraduate students to enable payment of school charges.
Eligible students who are unable to raise their school charges may therefore check the NELFUND application process and the instructions provided by the university.
However, students should not assume that applying for the loan automatically clears their UNIBEN charges. They should follow the university’s instructions on how approved funding is handled.
Important Note About UNIBEN Fees for 2026/2027
There are several UNIBEN school-fee figures circulating online, including figures of ₦170,000 and ₦190,000 for fresh students.
Those figures should be treated carefully.
UNIBEN’s own publicly accessible school-charges page still contains older undergraduate schedules, while its current student portal contains additional notices and newer charges applicable to students admitted from 2024/2025 onwards.
Until UNIBEN publishes a specific 2026/2027 undergraduate fee schedule, it is safer for prospective students to use the amount generated on their own payment portal rather than relying on an unverified figure from a blog or social media post.
Final Advice for UNIBEN Freshers
If you have just been admitted into UNIBEN, do not budget only for “school fees”.
Your first-session expenses can include acceptance and clearance, school charges, accommodation, books, transport, feeding and other registration-related expenses.
Also remember that the amount paid by a science student may differ from that of a non-science student because of programme-related charges.
The best figure to use when making payment is the amount officially generated for your admission and student account.
UNIBEN’s student portal remains the place where students can view their payment information and complete their registration.
Visit the official UNIBEN Student Portal – https://uniben.edu/school_charges
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