How to Change Institution or Course After a JAMB Admission Offer
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Aug 07, 2026 • Africa Admissions & Exams
You can change your institution or course on JAMB CAPS through a paid Change of Institution/Course service, and it differs from an institution asking to move you into a different course, which needs your consent through a CAPS Transfer Alert.
🎓 Candidate-initiated change: apply on the JAMB portal, pay the processing fee, and pick a new institution or course that still has open slots and matches your requirements.
📩 Institution-initiated change: JAMB sends a Transfer Alert to your CAPS profile. You must press ACCEPT or REJECT yourself, nobody can move you without your response.
⏱️ A fresh UTME registration is required once JAMB closes the change window for that admission cycle and you still have not secured a place.
Two Different Kinds of Change
Nigerian candidates confuse two separate CAPS processes. The first is a change you request yourself through JAMB's Change of Institution/Course service. The second is a change an institution proposes, which JAMB routes to you as a Transfer Alert that you must approve before it takes effect.
How to Change Institution or Course Yourself
Log in to your JAMB e-facility profile and look for the Change of Course/Institution option under your admission profile. You select a new institution or course from those still displaying open slots, pay the processing fee through the portal, and submit the request. During the 2024/2025 admission cycle, this service carried a fee of roughly ₦2,500, according to Legit.ng , though JAMB can revise the amount each cycle.
You must meet the entry requirements for the new course or institution before JAMB approves the change. A change to a more competitive course or a higher-demand institution is not guaranteed even after payment.
When an Institution Requests a Change (Transfer Alert)
Sometimes an institution wants to move a candidate from their chosen course into a different one, often because a department has unfilled slots. JAMB Registrar Ishaq Oloyede stated in 2022 that this kind of transfer can only be effected with the consent or acceptance of the candidate, and that the process is automated through a CAPS Transfer Alert, according to Punch . When you get this alert, you choose ACCEPT to move into the new course, or REJECT to stay in your original choice. If you stay silent, JAMB treats that as a rejection and leaves you in your original course. No institution can move you without this response from you.
Limits on How Many Times You Can Change
JAMB has not published one fixed cap on the number of changes allowed that holds across every recent cycle, and the rule has shifted between cycles. Treat each change window as a cycle-specific opportunity rather than an unlimited option, pay attention to the deadline JAMB announces for that admission season, and confirm the current rule on your CAPS profile before you request a second or third change.
When You Need a Fresh UTME Instead
If the change window for your admission cycle closes and you still do not have a course you are willing to accept, your registration for that cycle ends without a placement. You need to register afresh for the next UTME cycle rather than carrying an old registration forward, since JAMB numbers and admission cycles do not roll over automatically.