JOSTUM keeps undergraduate fees after protests, but other charges may rise

Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi (JOSTUM) has dropped its planned increase in JOSTUM undergraduate fees for the 2026/2027 session, after students in the Benue State university protested the proposal. Vice-Chancellor Isaac Itodo announced the decision in a statement on his official Facebook page as the university resumed for the new session on Monday, October 19, 2026.

Itodo’s statement covers undergraduate school fees only, and a separate advisory from the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Raymond Wuana, makes clear that a review of other charges is going ahead, so the relief is narrower than it first sounds. Those charges include online screening and admission acceptance, health services, hostel accommodation and postgraduate programmes, and the university hasn’t published new amounts for any of them yet.

Which JOSTUM charges are still on the table

Wuana’s advisory to students said “the review concerns only specified services and postgraduate charges”, which means two groups should keep watching the university’s notices closely. Fresh students who still have to pay for screening and acceptance could face a different figure from what last year’s set paid, and anyone hoping to live on campus may find hostel accommodation costs more than before. Postgraduate students are the only group whose tuition is openly part of the review.

Until JOSTUM publishes a full fee schedule, the safest approach is to pay only through the university’s own portal and official bank channels, and to keep every receipt. If you’re comparing what other federal universities are charging this session, our breakdown of ABU’s new 2026/2027 charges gives a useful reference point for how far some schools have gone.

Itodo says he listened, but warns against the posters

Itodo said the decision followed student concerns and consultations with the university’s regulatory bodies, and that he had gone through students’ reactions on social media and met a cross-section of them. He also condemned violence and intimidation during the protest, criticising flyers that read “ITODO MUST GO”, and asked students to raise grievances through their representatives and the established channels instead.

Management has asked students to resume immediately, complete course registration and attend lectures, and student leaders have been told to submit their concerns formally along with practical suggestions. The university wants the session to move far enough before the 2027 general elections to avoid another round of disruption, after time already lost to strike action and other delays.

New admission? Your acceptance clock is already running

JOSTUM’s admission office has set Tuesday, October 27, 2026, as the deadline for candidates offered admission for 2026/2027 to accept the offer on JAMB’s Central Admissions Processing System and pay the acceptance fee, and it has warned that missing it could cost you the place. Accept on CAPS first through the JAMB e-Facility portal, then pay through the university’s official channel. If you’re unsure whether your offer is genuine, follow our guide on how to verify an admission before you accept it.

The academic calendar approved by the Senate also includes an eight-week mid-semester break from mid-December 2026 that runs until after the 2027 general elections, so plan travel and rent around a long stretch away from campus. For returning undergraduates, the fee you paid last session is the one that stands, while freshers and postgraduate students should wait for the published schedule before paying anything extra.