The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has extended the deadline for candidates with outstanding admission offers from 2021 to date to indicate whether they wish to accept or reject the admissions on the JAMB Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS).
The new deadline is Wednesday, 30 September 2026, giving affected candidates additional time to take action on admission offers that are still pending on their records.
JAMB had previously fixed Monday, 31 August 2026 as the deadline for candidates to accept or reject such offers. The Board has now extended the deadline and described the new date as the final opportunity for affected candidates to resolve the status of their outstanding admissions.
Candidates who have an unaccepted admission offer are advised not to wait until the final day before taking action.
Who Is Affected by the JAMB Extension?
The extension applies to candidates who were offered admission from 2021 to date but have not yet indicated their decision to either accept or reject the offer.
According to JAMB, this includes outstanding regular or CUIIA admission offers.
Affected candidates are expected to review their admission status and take the appropriate action before the new deadline. The Board warned that candidates who fail to act within the stipulated period will face consequences regarding the status of their outstanding admission offers.
New Deadline for Accepting or Rejecting Admission
The revised deadline is:
Wednesday, 30 September 2026
This replaces the earlier deadline of Monday, 31 August 2026.
JAMB stated that there will be no further opportunity after the expiration of the extended deadline. Candidates with pending offers are therefore encouraged to resolve their admission status before the deadline.
At the expiration of the new deadline, any outstanding admission offer from 2021 to date that has neither been accepted nor rejected will automatically be reverted to “Not Admitted” on JAMB's records.
Candidates should therefore treat the September 30 deadline as the final date for taking action on affected admission offers.
What Happens If a Candidate Accepts the Admission?
Candidates who decide to accept their outstanding admission offers will be able to proceed to print and obtain their admission letters.
This means candidates who still want the admission represented by the outstanding offer should ensure that they accept it before the deadline.
JAMB has advised affected candidates to take action as soon as possible rather than waiting until the final days of the extension.
What Happens If a Candidate Rejects the Admission?
Candidates who no longer want their previous admission offers can reject them.
Once an outstanding offer is rejected, the candidate's dashboard will be reverted to “Not Admitted.”
According to JAMB, this will allow the Board to update its records and ensure that the admission information in its system accurately represents the current status of candidates.
Candidates should therefore carefully consider their present academic situation before deciding whether to accept or reject a previous admission offer.
Candidates Who Are Now Studying Elsewhere
JAMB has also addressed the situation of candidates who are no longer studying at the institution where their previous admission was offered.
A candidate who is currently enrolled in a different institution or programme from the one connected to the previous outstanding admission may accept the previous offer and subsequently apply for the appropriate correction or deletion of the admission, where applicable.
This process is intended to enable JAMB to properly update the candidate's admission status and records.
Candidates in this situation should therefore take the necessary action on their outstanding admission rather than leaving it unresolved until the deadline.
Candidates Already Pursuing a Second Degree
The Board also provided clarification for candidates who are currently pursuing a second degree but still have an earlier admission offer that has not been accepted.
Such candidates may reject the previous outstanding admission offer and continue with their current programme.
This provides affected candidates with an opportunity to ensure that their JAMB records reflect their present academic circumstances.
What About Candidates Offered Admission in 2026?
JAMB has specifically reassured candidates who have received admission during the 2026 admission exercise but still have an older admission offer pending.
According to the Board, such candidates should not be worried about rejecting the previous admission.
A candidate who has secured a 2026 admission offer may reject the previous outstanding admission, and doing so will have no adverse effect whatsoever on the candidate's 2026 admission.
This clarification is particularly important for candidates who may be concerned that taking action on an older admission could affect their more recent admission offer.
Why JAMB Extended the Deadline
The extension is intended to provide affected candidates with one final opportunity to clearly indicate whether they want to retain or reject their outstanding admission offers.
JAMB also stated that the exercise will help the Board maintain accurate, current and reliable national admission records.
Candidates with unresolved admission offers are therefore encouraged to use the additional time to regularise their records and make their decisions before the deadline.
Candidates Advised Not to Wait Until the Deadline
JAMB has urged all affected candidates to act immediately instead of waiting until 30 September 2026.
The Board stressed that failure to accept an admission offer within the stipulated period will render the offer invalid.
Therefore, candidates with previous admission offers still showing as pending should check their records and take the appropriate action before the extended deadline.
Final Deadline: September 30, 2026
The extension gives candidates more time, but JAMB has made it clear that the opportunity is final.
Important dates:
- Previous deadline: Monday, 31 August 2026
- New and final deadline: Wednesday, 30 September 2026
- Affected admissions: Offers made from 2021 to date
- Admission types mentioned: Regular and CUIIA
After Wednesday, 30 September 2026, all outstanding admission offers from 2021 to date that remain neither accepted nor rejected will automatically change to “Not Admitted” and remain so on JAMB's records.
Candidates affected by this announcement are therefore advised to take the necessary action before the deadline to avoid losing the opportunity to resolve their outstanding admission status.
Source: Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB)
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