The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has clarified that undergraduate students currently enrolled in tertiary institutions are not barred from registering for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) or Direct Entry (DE) applications.
In a statement released by the Board’s Public Communication Advisor, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, JAMB dismissed claims that it prevents matriculated students from seeking new admissions. However, the Board emphasized that such candidates must fulfill a “mandatory disclosure” requirement regarding their current student status during the registration process.
According to Dr. Benjamin, this disclosure is a regulatory measure intended to maintain the integrity of the admissions process and prevent the illegal holding of multiple admissions.
“Disclosure is required strictly for record and regulatory purposes and to prevent multiple admissions,” Benjamin explained. “It simply means that once a candidate secures admission through the latest UTME/DE registration, any previous admission automatically ceases, as the law does not permit a candidate to hold two admissions concurrently.”
The Board warned that withholding information about an existing matriculation status is a punishable offense. While JAMB’s internal systems are capable of detecting prior enrollments, the Board cautioned that any candidate found to have deliberately concealed their status risks losing both their current placement and the new admission opportunity.
Dr. Benjamin further urged the public to disregard misleading interpretations from unofficial sources and self-styled education advocates. He advised parents and candidates to rely solely on official JAMB guidelines and advertisements to avoid being misinformed.
The 2026 UTME/DE registration cycle requires all applicants to adhere strictly to these transparency protocols to ensure their applications remain valid.
