One outstanding course should not cost students another year

By Aliyu Inuwa Mansir On May 23, 2026

By Firdausi Abubakar

Across campuses in Nigeria, graduation is no longer only about studying hard and passing exams. It has become a battle against school fees, rising living costs, emotional stress, and the fear of spending extra years in school because of one or two courses.

Many students are silently carrying the burden of spillovers, not because they are unserious, but because life happened. One student misses an exam because transport fares doubled overnight; another struggles academically after combining lectures with a side hustle just to survive in school. Some are dealing with family problems, unstable mental health, illness, or even hunger while trying to meet deadlines and prepare for tests.

Yet when a student carries over just one or two courses, the punishment can feel endless.

Another year of school fees. Another year of accommodation payments. Another year of feeding, handouts, and transportation costs.

In today’s Nigeria, where the cost of education keeps increasing, this reality is becoming heartbreaking for both students and parents.

This is why more tertiary institutions in Nigeria need to embrace and strengthen summer semester programs. Interestingly, some universities have already started moving in this direction. Institutions like Kwara State University, Northwest University Kano, and Federal University Dutse have, at different times, operated summer or special semester programs that allow students to retake outstanding courses instead of waiting for another full academic session. For many students, these programs have become lifelines.

A final-year student with only one outstanding course should not have to spend another full year in school because there is no flexible alternative. A parent already struggling to sponsor three children through university should not be forced into another year of expenses over a single carryover.

Summer semesters create breathing space. They give students a second chance without destroying their academic timeline. They reduce the shame many students feel after spillovers and also help students recover academically and emotionally instead of feeling abandoned by the system.

The truth is that Nigerian students are already under enormous pressure. Education is expensive. Living conditions are difficult. The economy is becoming more unforgiving with each passing day. Extending a student’s stay in school over one or two courses often creates more frustration than discipline.

This is not about lowering academic standards. Students should still earn their grades fairly. But universities must also recognize that flexibility and support are part of a healthy education system. Many students do not even know summer programs exist in some schools until it is too late. Institutions need to create more awareness about these opportunities, simplify the process, and make them affordable enough for average students to access.

Because sometimes, all a student needs is one extra semester, not one extra year.

At a time when more families are struggling to afford tertiary education, summer programs should no longer be treated as a hidden option or an afterthought. They should become a stronger part of Nigeria’s academic system.

Not every delayed student is lazy. Sometimes, they are simply tired, overwhelmed, and trying to survive. And maybe what they need is not condemnation, but a system willing to give them another chance without making them lose another year of their lives.