JAMB Extends Final Window for Candidates to Confirm Old Admissions

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced an extension for candidates from the 2021 to 2026 admission cycles to either accept or decline their university entry offers. Initially set for Monday, August 31, 2026, the new cut-off date is now Wednesday, September 30, 2026. This development was shared by Fabian Benjamin, JAMB's Acting Director of Public Affairs and Protocol, in a statement released on X over the weekend.

JAMB characterized this extension as “a final opportunity” for all concerned candidates to address their unresolved admission statuses. Benjamin explicitly urged, “Candidates with pending admission offers who have not yet accepted or rejected (regular or CUIIA) such offers are strongly advised to do so before 30 September 2026.”

The examination body cautioned applicants against procrastinating, emphasizing that delaying action until the last moment could negatively impact their admission status. “Candidates should not wait until the deadline, as failure to take action within the stipulated period will have consequences for the status of such admissions,” the board reiterated.

Explaining the implications, JAMB clarified that individuals who accept their admission offers would then be eligible to print and secure their official admission letters. Conversely, those who opt to reject their offers would see their online dashboards updated to reflect “Not Admitted” status.

JAMB elaborated, stating, “Those who reject their offers will have their dashboards reverted to ‘Not Admitted’, enabling the Board to update its records and ensure that its admission data accurately reflects the current status of candidates.” Furthermore, the board issued specific instructions for candidates who are no longer enrolled in the institutions where they initially received their admissions.

The statement advised: “For candidates who are no longer in the institution where the previous admission was offered, or who are currently in a different programme from the one for which the previous admission was offered, such candidates may accept the outstanding admission and subsequently apply for the appropriate correction or deletion of the admission, as the case may be.” This procedure, JAMB noted, is designed to facilitate the proper updating of candidates’ admission records and status. JAMB affirmed that “This will enable the Board to appropriately update the candidate’s admission status and records.”

The board also provided clarity for individuals currently undertaking a second degree, but who still have an unaccepted admission offer from a prior cycle. Specifically, JAMB stated, “Similarly, candidates who are currently pursuing a second degree but still have a previous admission offer that remains unaccepted may go ahead and reject such an offer and continue with their current programme.”

Moreover, the body offered reassurance to candidates who have already secured admission in the ongoing 2026 cycle, confirming that declining an older, outstanding admission offer will have no bearing on their recent admission. The board unequivocally stated, “Such candidates may reject the previous admission offer, and doing so will have no adverse effect whatsoever on their 2026 admission.”

According to JAMB, the primary motivation for this extension is to provide all affected candidates with a final chance to explicitly state their acceptance or rejection, thereby aiding the board in maintaining precise admission records. JAMB elaborated, “The Board is providing this extension to give all affected candidates one final opportunity to indicate clearly whether they wish to accept or reject their outstanding admission offers.” The initiative, it added, is also crucial for the board to “maintain accurate, current and reliable national admission records.”

Notwithstanding this grace period, JAMB issued a stern warning: no additional extensions will be granted beyond September 30. “The Board wishes to emphasise that there will be no further opportunity after the expiration of the extended deadline on Wednesday, 30 September 2026,” it cautioned.

The board further explained that any admission offers from 2021 onwards that remain unaccepted or unrejected by the specified deadline will be automatically revoked from candidates’ active admission profiles. JAMB declared, “At the expiration of the deadline, all outstanding admission offers from 2021 to date that have neither been accepted nor rejected will automatically be reverted to ‘Not Admitted’ status and will remain so on the Board’s records.”

Consequently, the board implored all affected individuals to take immediate action, rather than postponing their decision until the final hours. “All affected candidates are therefore strongly urged to act immediately and not wait until the deadline,” it advised. Concluding its announcement, JAMB issued a definitive warning: “failure to accept an admission offer within the stipulated period will render the offer invalid.”