Frequently Asked Questions About NOUN

Thinking about pursuing your educational goals with the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN)? Fantastic choice! But before you embark on this exciting journey, it’s natural to have questions. From admission procedures and program offerings to fees and study structure, the unknown can seem daunting. This post is here to serve as your handy guide, addressing the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).

RECOMENDED: How To Apply For National Open University Of Nigeria (NOUN) Admission

Frequently Asked Questions About National Open University Of Nigeria

1. Question: I need to know the breakdown of NOUN School fees?
Planning your education at NOUN is exciting, but understanding the fees is crucial for making informed financial decisions, To see NOUN school fees breakdown go to this page=> NOUN School Fees For New and Returning Students

2. Question: How do I apply for NOUN Admission?
The process and steps to apply for NOUN admission form was explained here => How To Apply For National Open University Of Nigeria (NOUN) Admission

3. Question: How much is NOUN course material?
The cost of NOUN course material is already included in the program fee you pay each semester. This means you don’t need to pay any additional charges to access the materials you need for your studies.

4. Question: How long does NOUN Programme take?

• Undergraduate programs: Typically take 4 to 5 years to complete.
• Postgraduate Diploma programs: Usually completed within 18 months.
• Master’s Degree programs: Typically take 18 months

5. Question: If graduated in NOUN, will NYSC mobilize me for the 1 Year compulsory Youth Service Scheme?
What you will be given after graduation from NOUN is NYSC Exclusion letters but NOUN Management is about completing discussion with stakeholders on this issue.

6. Question: Who will process the admission forms?
NOUN will process the forms and admit student directly by itself

7. Question: What is the cost of the admission forms?

• Undergraduate Programmes: N5,000 (five thousand naira only)
• Postgraduate (PGD and Masters) Programmes: N7,500 (seven thousand five hundred naira only)
• Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) Programmes: N10,000 (ten thousand naira only)

8. Question: What are the courses to be offered?
NOUN offered courses in Agricultural Sciences, Arts, Education, Health Sciences, Law, Management Sciences, Science and Social Sciences. List Of Courses Offered in National Open University Of Nigeria (NOUN)

10. Question: How long will it take me to complete my course?
The duration will be dependent on how long a student takes to accumulate the requisite number of credits needed for a final award. For example, a student shall require at least 120, 90, 60, 35 and 70 credit units to earn an award for the Bachelor Degree, Postgraduate Diploma, Diploma, Certificate and Masters Degree certificate respectively.

11. Question: Will the course be part-time?
NOUN programs are designed to be flexible and self-paced, meaning they don’t inherently follow a traditional “part-time” or “full-time” structure. However, the level of commitment required to successfully complete a NOUN program can be tailored to fit your individual needs and schedule.

12. Question: Will my certificate be comparable with those from conventional universities?
Yes. NOUN certificate will in no way be inferior to those awarded by conventional universities since the same body National Universities Commission, sets the minimum standard.

13. Question: How will the students be taught?
NOUN will deliver instructions through the following:

• Printed Materials
• Audio/Video tapes
• Radio and Television broadcasts.
• CD-ROMS; and
• Internet (Where appropriate).

14. Question: How will NOUN students be assisted and guided in their studies?

NOUN students benefit from a variety of support and guidance systems throughout their studies:

Academic Support:

• Course Guides and Materials: Each course comes with comprehensive guides, study materials, and recommended textbooks to help you understand the content.
• Online Learning Platform: NOUN’s eCourseware platform provides access to digital course materials, interactive activities, and discussion forums where you can connect with classmates and tutors.
• Tutors and Course Facilitators: Assigned tutors and course facilitators are available to answer questions, provide guidance, and offer feedback on assignments. You can connect with them through online forums, email, or phone calls.
• Counseling Services: NOUN offers counseling services to help students with academic challenges, personal concerns, and career planning.
• Study Groups: Many study centers have active student communities where you can form study groups for collaboration and peer support.

Administrative Support:

• Admissions and Registration Support: NOUN staff are available to assist with application, registration, and other administrative processes.
• Library Services: NOUN has a network of physical and online libraries with resources and librarians to assist with research and information needs.
• Student Portal: The online student portal provides access to your academic records, financial information, and other important resources.
• Help Desk: The NOUN help desk provides support for technical issues and general inquiries.

16. Please sir, I just paid for the compulsory fee today, and I need to do my course registration, to my surprise am seeing about 24 courses, Do I register all of them, and besides its too much for me?

The 24 courses are a combination of the 1st and second semester courses. It’s normal to see them there. To differentiate, look at the front of each course, you will see a column where they wrote “first” (meaning 1^st Semester course) or “second” (meaning 2^nd Semester course).

Other notable columns are the ones that tell you the unit of each course (which could either be 1, 2, 3 or 6 and another column showing you the amount to be paid for each course respectively.

17. I have registered my 13 courses but I haven’t registered any of my exams, but now I feel I won’t be able to go on with all the 13 courses, can I unregister some courses?

You don’t need to drop any courses since you will still do them later (being compulsory). Since you have not done your exam registration, I advise you to register only the courses you feel you are ready to write exams for, and leave the others till another semester when you feel you would be ready to write them.

If peradventure you have even already registered the exams and you wish to drop any of the already registered courses, or perhaps you mistakenly clicked and register a course that you are not supposed to register, what you need to do is to visit the IT department of your study centre and go with a printout of the registration slip. You may be required to sign beside the courses you wish to drop and after the due process, they will drop the courses for you and the money you paid in registering each of the courses will be returned into your portal.

Students cannot drop courses by themselves, they have to visit IT department at the study centre to do so.

18. Is it true that the study centre gives out free study materials to people that have finished their registrations?

The study centre gives students study materials as long as they are available, regardless of whether you pay on time or not. Of course those that pay on time are most likely to get more materials than those that paid late because the school may likely run out of stocks or fall short of supply eventually.

Different departments have different days assigned for collection of course materials. For the students of the school of science and technology, their collection day is Mondays, Management sciences students get theirs every Tuesdays and so on for the other departments.

But mind you, you may not be able to get all of them. For reasons best known to the school, students usually don’t get the complete set of books as supposed, and that is the reason why many of them patronize vendors to purchase the printed or photocopied ones.

However, 99% of all your courses are available online on the NOUN website. To download course materials, pls log on to https://nou.edu.ng/ecourseware/ and select your faculty to load your courses. You may download them to your tab, phone, laptop or any suitable devices in PDF format.

19. Is it the responsibility of the study center to provide ID card for us?

The school makes the ID card available on your portal, it is up to you to download it and print it out. You could make them in plastic form or laminated form. I am sure that there are some guys at the study centre who can help you with this. Learn How To Print National Open University Of Nigeria NOUN Student ID Card

The ID card updates semester by semester so you might have to check the validity to know the expiry date so that you download the latest. Basically, you may have to download and print a new one every academic session or every semester (depending on  the expiry date written on it).

20. Can I change my study center? I registered in Lagos but when I got to 200 Level, I had to relocate. Can I change d study center?

Yes you can change study centre! NOUN Requirement For Change Of Study Centre, Statement Of Result, Academic Transcript, Change Of Program e.t.c

All you need is to write a letter to the Registrar through the Study centre manager. In your letter, indicate your name, current study centre, department, current level and semester, matric number and other relevant information about yourself. You will also indicate the new study centre you wish to transfer to. You may state the reason for your intention. After submitting, you will be required to fill a form which will be acknowledged by the study centre director. After this, your file will be located and given to you (those documents you submitted to the school when you were processing your admission). You will go to the new study centre and submit the file along side with any documents that you were given and then they will take you up from there.

To know if you have been successfully transferred, log into your portal and you will find out that the name has been changed to the name of the new study centre you applied for.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

If you still do not wish to change your study centre, but for any reasons you are not going to be around for the exams at your current, you may apply to write your exam in another study centre close to where you would be. For instance, if your study centre is Agidingbi and you have cause to travel to Kaduna during the exams, you may just write to the study centre director, applying for permission to write in another study centre. The director would then issue you an acknowledgment letter which will cover you in the other study centre.

All students in ever centre write the same examination. Provided you have the letter that covers you, you can write your exams anywhere and your result will be released normally like other people’s results too. This especially works better for students writing e-exams. It is somewhat not advisable for students writing pen on paper exams (I personally believe there could eventually be

21. Can I do my courses and exam registration and hold on for the compulsory fee? Or do I have to pay the compulsory fee together with the course registration? Please i just want to know to go about the payments.

Just as I explained in the answer to Question 11, the moment you pay money into your portal, it will automatically deduct the compulsory fee and leave the remaining balance for you to do other stuffs like course and exam registration. The fact is that you simply can’t pay any amount below the compulsory fee as the payment platform (Remita) would not even allow it. You can only pay exactly the compulsory fee or any amount above it. That is the way the school portal and the payment platform are programmed.

22. The TMAS; I have not paid or completed registration but would still do so, can i get access to it and start work on it?

NO! You can only get your TMA in the portal if and only if you have completed your exam registration. No exam registration, No TMA.

23. I have completed my registration but haven’t paid my school fees can i postpone it?

Yes you can. No Strings attached. Just make sure you don’t pay anything at all into your portal. If you do, you will lose some money to NOUN. This is how:

Every Semester, you are meant to pay a particular compulsory fee. Once you make any payment, the school will automatically deduct their compulsory fee from it and leave the balance there for you to do other things like course and exam registration. E.g. if the compulsory fee for this semester is N41,000 and you pay N50,000 into your portal, as the money lands into your portal, the system will automatically deduct N41,000 and all you will see in your portal is N9,000. This balance is what will be available for you to do other stuffs like course and exam registration. The payment process has been programmed in such a way that you cannot pay below the compulsory fee for a given semester…You can only pay exactly or above it.

Now the second part of the story is that the moment you pay the compulsory fee for a given semester, it has been marked for you that you have registered that particular semester. The next time you are ready to continue your school (maybe u didnt eventually get money to complete your registrations after paying the compulsory fee already), the school will be ready to deduct another compulsory fee again for the new semester in which u wish to continue your program. Which means the one you paid for an earlier semester is wasted. If you don’t pay anything at all, you are very free and nothing will happen…as a matter of fact, it will pause there for you to continue exactly where you stopped instead of assuming that you have marked that semester.

So in your best interest, ensure you are going to be able to complete your registration money before thinking of paying anything into your portal. If you are not yet sure of it, just save your money somewhere till its complete. And if you have paid anything already, and it is not yet complete to register the remaining courses, brother/sister, Double your hustle!

24. I have paid my school fee and completed my registration but I’m not ready to write the exam because of work and other tangible reasons, can i postpone the exam till another time?

Yes of course you can! NOUN is a flexible and can be paused and continued at any time.

However, the implication of this is that you will be required to pay the compulsory fee for the next semester before you can access your portal to do anything by then. Secondly, all the exams you registered will be automatically dropped and you would have to pay for each exam registration again in the next semester (or whatever semester in which you are ready to continue).

Course registrations are for life. Once done, you don’t have to do it again. But exam registration is only valid for each given semester in which u did the registration. After the given semester, the registration is void and u will pay another sum of money for that again. Another factor that might make you need to register an exam again in another semester is when u failed a course. If any course is failed, such student would not have to register the course again, but would only have to re-register the exam for that course.

Please also take note of the following:

Course registration fee for

1. Every 1 and 2 unit course is N2,000
2. Every 3 unit course is N2,500
3. Every IT/SIWES and Project (Which are 6 units each) is N15,000

Exam Registration for every course cost N1,500/course regardless of the units of that course.

25. Can I postpone my admission till next semester in case I didnt meet up with the current registration till it closed?

Yes. You can continue with your schooling from another semester if u eventually could not make it for the current semester.
NOUN is a flexible institution of learning where students study at their own pace. You may decide to pause your study and continue at a later time. You can always continue from where you stopped.

26. Will NOUN graduates go for NYSC?

NOUN graduates will go for youth service according to the latest development. We still await a more detailed information in this regards. But the great news is that NOUN is now on the senate list of schools to take part in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). More detail on this will be disclosed soon.

Before now, NOUN graduates so far have not been going for youth service. The School had been in a very tight tussle with the NUC and NYSC over youth service. There are some few reasons why the youth service was not approved for NOUN graduates (information and rumors gathered):

(I). The population of the school is too large for the Federal Government to cater for along with the other conventional universities.

(II). The school has not been using JAMB as a form of entry requirement and only students who did JAMB (according to the initial policy) are permitted to serve. This is also the reason why students offering part time studies don’t go for service even in conventional universities..so NOUN is not an exception.

(iii) NOUN is expected to be a school for the working class and others who wish to advance or move further in their education. Hence, NYSC (which is meant for youths) is not expected of such an institution.

For the above three reasons and some other internal reasons which may not be known to us, NOUN graduates were only given exemption letters but will not participate in the NYSC exercise and service.  The exemption letter also represents the NYSC certificate but with an exemption from the normal service activities.

One major group of people who would never support NOUN graduates to serve are the Conventional University VCs because they know that if NOUN could be eventually serving, students may consider NOUN as their first option and they will no longer have students as they used to.

Click on this link: https://portal.nysc.org.ng/nysc2/  and it will lead you to the NYSC website. Click the drop down button and you will see list of schools approved for service. National Open University of Nigeria, Abuja.

27. Question:- How will the 200 level Students (Direct entry students) write their exams, since they offer the same courses with returning students.

Registered students are qualified to write examination 8 weeks after they have intimated themselves of possessed the course materials either printed or downloaded from the internet.

28. How many years for master Programme in NOUN.?

It is flexible. Minimum of three semesters and maximum of six semesters.

29. Can you do without lectures?

Yes, attending facilitation sessions is not compulsory but you must do your Tutor Mark Assignments (TMAs) and submit as at when due.
Facilitation is done in Open and Distance Learning mode not lectures – NOUN Online Lecture/Facilitation For 2023_1 Semester

30. Can 100 level students take more courses from 200 level course?

Yes if the courses have no prerequisites and are available for registration.

31. Do we pay tuition fees?

No. you pay for course materials, exams and minimal registration fee

32. Can one go for master after 1st degree in conventional university?

Yes

33. What are the accrued credit units that a student should have to graduate? For example 1st Degree, Ordinary Diploma and Certificate and Masters?

Degree:
For 100 level admission, a student is required to pass a minimum of 120 credit units from relevant courses;
For 200 level admission, student are required to pass a minimum of 90 credit Units from relevant courses
PGDE:
For PGDE, a student is required to pass minimum of 30 credit units from relevant courses;
Masters:
A student is required to pass minimum of 45 credit units from relevant courses.

34. Why does the University delay in attending to change of program requests?

Delay can occur:
If request for change of programme did not contain the required information e.g. application form number, matriculation number and credentials etc.
If the request is not directed to the appropriate unit,
If you do not validate your admission.

35. When do I start my project?

You are qualified to do so by doing the pre-requisite courses. And the project title has been approved by your School.

36. How will I get in touch with a project supervisor who is in Lagos and I don’t even know him?

By email
By telephone
By courier service

37. When will those who changed their programme receive new admission letters?

After the processing is complete the students are usually given a feed back or a new admission letter as appropriate

38. May I know the duration of my programme, and how quickly I will be able to complete this programme?

Duration of programmes is clearly spelt out in the student hand book.

39. The masters programmes, are they professional or academic?

Some are professional while some are academic.

40. Many of the courses offered do not have facilitators why?

All courses are assigned to qualified persons to facilitate
Report to the Centre Director, so arrangement can be made for such courses.

40. Why is NOUN asking PGD and Masters students to register for GST courses after they have already taken most of them in their former universities?

The mode of instruction in open and distance learning is different from that used in conventional system. Thus, some of the GST courses are designed for distance learners.

41. Can a student run two programmes with NOUN?

Not concurrently

42. How many credits load is advisable for a student to carry at a time?

Maximum of 24 credit units in relevant courses.

43. How many levels can a student scale through to obtain a degree?

The entry point is 100 level while the terminal point is 400 or 500 level depending on the programme.

44. What is the minimum requirement to be admitted into NOUN?

The minimum requirement for admission is stated in the admission announcement/advertisement. see NOUN admission Requirements and how to apply

45. Do I have to pass an entry, examination or test before admission into NOUN?

No. NOUN offered admission without JAMB

46. What is the least number of courses a student can register for at a time?

As many as the student can afford and cope with.

47. Why is the matriculation number given by NOUN are sometimes said to be invalid any time a student want to register online.

The followings are the possible cause of invalid Matric No. 1. If the student leave space between NOU and the number
2. If the matriculation number is wrongly typed,
3. If the newly admitted student has not performed the online clearance tasks, before clicking ‘register’ the system will not recognize the matric. No.

48. Why is the password that has been using to access my online, registration is sometimes said to be invalid?

If the student has wrongly typed the password, or there is caps lock on while his password is lower case or vice-versa, or if the student type zero in place of alphabet ‘0’. However, if problem persist, contact the ICT Department or Click on Forget Password via this link https://www.nouonline.net/stuser_pss.php

49. How long will one stay in NOUN before getting ID cards?

Issuance of ID cards is after matriculation.

50. Why internet registration?

Internet Registration is for transparency, easy database management of student records, It also makes it registration available anytime anywhere with the principle of the ODL.

51. Can one go manually if one cannot register online?

No, you cannot go manually because NOUN education is online based.

52. Are facilitation classes mandatory?

Attendance to facilitation classes is not compulsory however it is very necessary for you to attend and you must submit all your Tutor Marked Assignments on time.

53. Can one go to the Dean directly when one has problems?

No, you have to follow the channel of communication—through your Counsellor or facilitator to Study Centre Director to the Dean

54. A part from counselling services, what other support system do you give a student who wants to carry out a project to promote the school?

Apart from counselling, project supervisors are appointed to assist such students with advice, information, referral coaching, and provision of other resource materials

55. Why are NOUN staffs insensitive to student’s problems?

Staff at the study centres is to help every student at every stage of their study in order for them to achieve their academic objectives. However when such support is not forthcoming, endeavour to see your counsellor who is there for you at any time or where the counsellor is not available or not forth coming, see the Centre Director

56. How will NOUN students be assisted and guided in their studies?

1) help the student to acquire appropriate learning and study skills that suit their learning style
2) provision of tutorial facilitation sessions
3) Helping the students to form a study groups
4) Provision of Study Counsellors who are to assist students solve their socio- psychological and academic problems and challenges
5) Availability of study materials at the centres
6) Tutors comments on every Tutor Marked Assignment submitted on time
7) Provision of facilitators whom you can contact any time you have difficulty with your study material either by phone or face to face session

8) NOUN has provided access to virtual libraries and other resource material around the world and the students can avail themselves of this opportunity
9) Study Centres have been created across the country in order to bring education to the door step of every student
10) Provision of computer laboratories, science laboratories and internship for students concern at the study centres

58. Is there special way of preparing for studying at NOUN?

Yes You must properly plan your study by putting into consideration the following
1) You must register for the courses or work load that you are capable of carrying in a semester putting into consideration your other commitments in your life
2) Financial resources available to you
3) proper budgeting of your time and management
4) Consider ways whereby other support net e.g. Family Friends can assist you
5) prioritize your social and commitment vis-à-vis your study time
5) Identify study and learning skills that are appropriate to your learning styles and learn and use them
6 ) Support staff ( Study Centre Director, Student Counsellors, Facilitators, ICT and other administrative staff ) are available at all time and ready to assist you plan your study and help you overcome socio-psychological and academic difficulties associated with studying at a distance
7) You must ensure that you acquire all the necessary study materials for every course you offer in your programmme

8) You must ensure that you study ahead and prepare very well for every facilitation session
9) Make use of other resource materials on the web or library or virtual library available to you

59. Will studying at NOUN be a lonely experience?

No
1) First of all you must endeavour to be in contact with your counsellor, facilitator, Study centre director or other students through phone, internet, or face to face etc.
2) make sure you belong to at least one study group and endeavour to exchange addresses and phone number and e-mail addresses with our colleagues
3) Chat forum on the web with your colleagues
4 Join social group at the study centre
5 Endeavour to visit the centre occasionally or during facilitations and interact with both staff and students as much as possible

60. Why is it that the centre can not help the student to register on-line?

If you need help, not only on registration on line, contact the Centre Student Counsellor or ICT staff in case of computer related problems.

61. Why are students not allowed to collect their course materials at the Headquarters?

Study materials are being supplied to students at study centres stores not at NOUN Headquarters’ offices.

62. Is it one semester for one year?

NOUN is a semester less University. It has no
rigid semester system.

63. After a degree in NOUN will other University admit NOUN graduate for Higher Degree?

Yes, if the basic university requirement of the said University are met by the graduates.

64. What is the age barrier for admission in NOUN

No age barrier, our students are from 16 to, 78 years old for now.

65. Are there hostel accommodations for regular and young students?

NOUN does not accommodate its students on campus. It’s a University without walls because it runs the ODL in line with our Motto: Work and Learn.

66. In future will candidates write JAMB?

No

67. Why is there no Campus?

There are study centres that act as campuses.

68. How does the University operate?

The Headquarters houses the Principal Officers of the University, Deans of schools and Directors. The study Centre Directors in the states represent the University at the various states. The Head of State and the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is the Visitor to the University. The Governing Council is headed by a Pro- Chancellor. The Vice Chancellor is the overall administrative and academic Head of the University. He is in charge of day-to-day administration of the University. The Senate of the University is the highest academic organ of the University. The decisions of this body on academic matters are final.

69. Are all the courses accredited?

All NOUN programmes have been accredited by the NUC.

70. Can NOUN certificate be used to study Master or PhD programme in a conventional university?

Yes in as much as the candidate has complied with the other requirements for admission into Postgraduate programme.

71. Some people say NUC does not recognize NOUN is it true?

This is not true. NUC recognizes NOUN as a University owned by the Federal Government of Nigeria

72. How long does it take to get study materials?

It should be immediately after you are properly registered.

73. We are adult students and many of our course materials are voluminous, is it not better for us to have areas of concentration during exams in order to enhance our performance?

No, you have to understand the entire course which is more beneficial.

74. Can someone collect materials after paying in any centre?

You should collect materials at your own study centre.

75. Is NOUN certificate acceptable by companies for a Job?

Yes

76. Can I write my examination in other Centre of NOUN?

NO

77. Is NOUN Certificate recognised outside Nigeria?

Yes

78. To what extent are the scores given to student in TMAs and exams reliable? Can such scores be challenged?

Yes

79. Why are some TMAs not available up to the point of examination timetable being released?

If they are not provided by the Schools hosting the courses due to likelihood of setting the questions by experts outside the University.

80. Are TMAs to be submitted before or after examination

All TMAs must be submitted before examinations.

81. Why do we have to pay per semester instead of per session?

NOUN operates Pay As You Go system that afford the student the opportunity to register for courses and exam they intend to write. Student can equally pay huge amount at a go and use it gradually until he finish.

82. Are chargeable fees expected to be paid all at once?

Yes, Chargeable fees are compulsory fees which comprises of:

Caution Deposit
Matriculation fees
Library fees
I. D card fees
Registration fees

They are to be paid once on registration.

83. How much will it cost me to Study with NOUN?

This depends on the program the students choose to run.