Short answer: use a regulated bank or approved channel, pay the university beneficiary shown on a verified invoice, and preserve the transfer evidence. In 2026, consult the CBN Foreign Exchange Manual’s current education-remittance rules and your bank before relying on an older Form A tutorial.
What changed in 2026
The Central Bank of Nigeria published the fourth edition of its Foreign Exchange Manual in June 2026. Current reporting on the manual highlights revised tuition-remittance limits, but applicants should read the official manual and ask an authorized dealer to apply the rule to their case.
Do not rely on an old blog that quotes the former limit or promises a fixed exchange rate and processing time. Availability, documentation review and bank procedure can change.
The CBN Trade Monitoring System remains the official online system associated with e-Form A processing. Commercial banks can provide current onboarding and documentary instructions.
Verify the university invoice first
Before beginning a transfer, independently confirm:
- the student’s name and application reference;
- program and intake;
- exact amount and currency;
- institutional beneficiary name;
- bank, IBAN or account number and SWIFT code;
- payment reference wording;
- deposit and refund terms.
Find the finance office through the university’s official website. Do not verify bank details by replying only to the message that sent the invoice.
EMU, for example, publishes institutional bank details and asks students to include their name and acceptance-letter reference information. Other universities may use different banks or portals; check each one directly.
e-Form A route
The exact screens and documents can change, but an education-fee application generally needs evidence of admission, the official fee schedule or invoice and identity or academic documents required by the manual and processing bank.
Use the official Trade Monitoring System and the bank’s verified channel. Submit accurate documents and keep the application reference. Ask the bank:
- Which current education-remittance category applies?
- What limit and frequency apply to this payment?
- Which documents must be original, certified or uploaded?
- Will funds go directly to the university?
- What charges and estimated processing stages apply?
- How will a correction or rejection be communicated?
Do not pay a stranger to “move your Form A to the front.”
Domiciliary-account or direct bank transfer
If the payer already holds the invoiced currency lawfully in a domiciliary account, the bank may process an international transfer subject to its rules and compliance checks. Match the invoice currency to reduce unnecessary conversion.
Put the student’s required reference in the transfer instruction. Ask for the SWIFT confirmation or equivalent trace and send it to the university through the official channel. Then wait for the university to confirm that the student’s ledger was credited.
A transfer receipt is not proof that the beneficiary details were correct or that the institution allocated the funds.
Card and online-portal payments
Some universities offer online card payment. Enter the portal by navigating from the institution’s official website, not a shortened link. Check card limits, issuer foreign-exchange treatment, merchant name and refund method.
Never share a card PIN or one-time password with an agent. A representative can explain the page without taking control of the transaction.
Red flags
- Beneficiary is an individual rather than the verified institution.
- Currency or amount differs from the invoice without written explanation.
- A “special rate” requires cash or crypto.
- The sender refuses direct finance-office confirmation.
- You are told to remove the student’s name from the reference.
- A second payment is demanded before the first can be traced.
If bank details change after an invoice is issued, call the university on an independently sourced number and confirm the change.
Build time into the intake
Begin after the offer and invoice are verified, not after the final registration week. Inform the university if a regulated payment is in progress and ask what evidence it accepts. Do not book a non-changeable flight until the academic, payment and travel position is clear.
Save every document: offer, invoice, e-Form A reference, debit evidence, SWIFT trace, university acknowledgment and refund terms.
Send us your invoice for a free verification checklist. Your bank, the CBN rules and the university finance office provide the authoritative payment instructions.