How to Cut School Costs Without Hurting Your Child's Education

If this year's school fees made you sit down and hold your head, you're not alone.

Fees are climbing fast

This September, Vanguard found many private schools had raised fees by 30 to 40%. One school in Ipaja, Lagos, went from ₦86,000 to ₦124,000 a term. By our sum, that's a 44% jump in one go.

It's the same in other places. In 2025, Nairametrics reported that some private and faith-based schools in Enugu raised fees by 20 to 50%. One mother there said:

"I cannot cope with that considering my take home salary." Mrs Juliet Ugwu, a parent in Enugu, 2025

The National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN) has asked schools to keep increases under 20%, and pleaded with them to reduce their fees.

Here's what a 30 to 40% rise means in real money. By our sum, on a ₦100,000 term it's an extra ₦30,000 to ₦40,000. That's about half a month's minimum wage, every single term.

The wrong way to cut costs

When money is tight, it's tempting to move your child to the cheapest school you can find. But a cheaper school with weak teaching can cost your child much more in the long run. Cutting costs is smart. Cutting quality isn't.

Smarter ways to save

1. Talk to the school before you move

Many parents never ask, because they assume fees are fixed. Ask politely whether the school offers anything like a sibling discount, a discount for paying early, a scholarship, or a payment plan. Some schools do. The worst they can say is no.

2. Ask for a payment plan

If the problem is paying everything at once, rather than the total, a payment plan can solve it without moving your child at all. Back in 2021, Nairametrics reported parents already delaying payments and moving children to cheaper schools when fees rose. A plan agreed with the school is far better than either.

3. Use free, official learning resources

Some of the best study materials cost nothing:

• WAEC's E-Study portal and e-Learning site have past questions, marking schemes and examiners' reports.
• JAMB's official brochure and syllabus are on its IBASS portal.
• Khan Academy is a free learning website for maths, science and more.

"a free, world-class education to anyone, anywhere" Khan Academy's mission

Use these for practice and revision, and save paid lessons for the topics your child really can't crack alone.

4. If you do change school, check the results first

A cheaper school can be a great school. Just check before you move. Ask what percentage of its students got five credits including English and Maths, and compare it with the national figure of 61.54% in 2026.

5. Plan for exam year early

If your child is heading into SS3, budget now. At 2026 prices, JAMB, WAEC and NECO together cost about ₦64,700. By our sum, if you start putting aside about ₦5,400 a month a year ahead, you'll have it ready, instead of facing a shock bill.

The real principle

Cost and quality aren't the same thing. Parents who manage best don't just spend the most or the least. They ask questions, use free resources, check results, and plan ahead.

On Scholarleveling, children can join live classes with teachers on any phone, and parents get a code to see how their child is doing every week. It's one more way to support your child's learning without changing schools.

Read next: whether expensive schools get better WAEC results, or how to tell if a school is overcharging for WAEC and NECO.