The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has scrapped all admissions into affiliated degree programmes in Colleges of Education with effect from the 2026/2027 academic session, closing a decades old pathway that allowed students to earn university degrees while studying in Teacher Training Institutions.

The policy is contained in JAMB's newly released NCE/ND Agric Registration Guidelines issued by the Office of the Registrar in June 2026, which also bars direct entry into 100 and 200 levels in all Colleges of Education.

"With effect from 2026/7 Session, no admission into 100 or 200 Level is allowed into any College of Education. All entrants are through NCE," the Board stated.

The Nigeria Certificate in Education now becomes the sole entry qualification into Colleges of Education for new applicants, a move expected to affect thousands of candidates who applied for affiliated degree programmes in the current 2026 admissions cycle.

To manage the transition, JAMB outlined three options for candidates who selected affiliated Colleges of Education through Direct Entry: a free change of institution, a transfer to the parent university to which the degree programme is affiliated, or an elevation of their second choice institution to first choice for admission processing.

"A candidate may choose to be moved to the Parent University to which the Degree programme is affiliated," the Board noted.

Candidates seeking 100 level admission through the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination face the same three options, with an additional route allowing migration into the NCE programme of their chosen institution.

JAMB added that candidates opting for the NCE route must obtain an O'Level verification code from the relevant examination body and pay a registration fee of ₦700 on the JAMB portal. The Board also introduced mandatory O'Level verification for all NCE applicants, setting the fee at ₦1,500 for one sitting and ₦2,000 for two sittings.

Candidates with ongoing UTME or Direct Entry processes who choose the NCE route will have those processes suspended upon recommendation.

"Anyone who chooses NCE and s/he is proposed/recommended, would have any ongoing UTME/DE process suspended," the Board stated.

The deadline for Institution changes was set at 22 June 2026. JAMB directed all Professional Registration Centres, Institutional Professional Registration Centres and its officials nationwide to study the new guidelines and ensure full compliance.