Over 5,000 UNIBEN Students Barred from Exams Over Unpaid Fees

Over 5,000 University of Benin students have been barred from writing second-semester exams starting September 29, 2025, after failing to pay their fees or enroll in the government’s student loan scheme despite repeated reminders.

The management of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) has announced that more than 5,000 students who have not paid their school fees will not be allowed to participate in the second-semester examinations beginning today, September 29, 2025.

Strict Enforcement of “No Payment, No Examination” Policy

In a memo signed by the Registrar, Mr. Ademola Bobola, the institution reaffirmed its stance on enforcing the rule that only students who have paid their fees are eligible to sit for exams.

Bobola noted that despite repeated reminders, many students failed to clear their fees or subscribe to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) provided as an alternative.

“The university management is in receipt of the list of students who have failed to pay their school charges despite repeated reminders. These students have also failed to subscribe to the student loans being provided by NELFUND,” the memo read.

He added that all efforts to encourage payment or loan enrollment had yielded no results, stressing that only students in good financial standing would be admitted into examination halls.

Enforcement Measures and Publication of Defaulters’ List

The registrar further revealed that the Senate had directed all provosts, deans, directors, and heads of departments to publish the names of defaulting students by 8 a.m. on Monday, giving them a final chance to verify their status and settle outstanding payments before exams commence.

“Management expects full cooperation and compliance by all stakeholders to maintain the university’s high standards,” Bobola emphasized.

To ensure total compliance, an enforcement task force headed by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) has been established to monitor the situation during the examination period.