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The short answer
Budget each term for more than tuition: boarding and feeding, uniforms, books, levies, pocket money and visiting-day travel. Pay the school's own account against its itemised bill, keep pocket money separate, and appoint a local guardian with written authority. Fees are rising: Vanguard reported in September 2026 that most Lagos private schools raised fees by 30 to 40% for the new session.
Why families choose it, and what changes
Sending a child to boarding school in Nigeria while you work in the US is a common choice: some families want their children close to grandparents, culture and language, others find it more affordable than private school in the US. It also means you are parenting through a bursar, a house master and a guardian. The money side and the oversight side need equal planning.
The real term budget
School invoices usually list tuition first, but boarding schools have many more lines. Ask the school for its full fee schedule, including what is charged once a year and once at entry.
Worked example: one term (illustrative figures)
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition | ₦1,200,000 |
| Boarding and feeding | ₦650,000 |
| Uniforms, books and stationery | ₦180,000 |
| PTA and other levies | ₦70,000 |
| Pocket money (₦5,000 a week for 12 weeks) | ₦60,000 |
| Guardian's travel for visiting day | ₦40,000 |
| Term total | ₦2,200,000 |
These are example figures only. If tuition and boarding rose by 35% next session, in line with the increases Vanguard reported for Lagos private schools, those two lines would add ₦647,500 a term. Plan for the increase before the letter arrives, not after.
Add the once-a-year items too: entrance or acceptance fees in the first year, external exam fees in exam years, excursions, and medical costs the school passes on.
Paying fees from the US
- Pay the school, not a person. Use the account printed on the school's official invoice, and check by phone with the bursary if the account ever changes.
- Pay on time. Many schools will not admit a boarder at resumption if fees are outstanding, so send a week before.
- Keep pocket money separate. Many boarding schools ask parents to lodge pocket money with the school or a house parent; ask how it is recorded and how your child draws on it.
- Keep every receipt and the bursar's statement at the end of each term.
From the US, your provider must show the fee, the exchange rate and the amount the school will receive before you pay (CFPB rules on remittance transfers). Paying from your bank account or card avoids the 1% US remittance transfer tax that, since January 2026, applies when a transfer is funded with cash, a money order or a cashier's check.
US gift tax
The IRS excludes tuition from gift tax when it is paid directly to a qualifying educational organisation. The Form 709 instructions say the exclusion covers tuition only, not books, supplies, or room and board. For your own child this rarely matters; it matters when you pay for a niece, nephew or sibling. This is information, not tax advice.
Oversight from abroad
A boarding school needs an adult it can call within hours. Appoint a local guardian and give the school their details in writing, with a signed letter from you stating what they may decide (collecting the child on exeat, consenting to emergency treatment, attending meetings).
- Ask for report cards and any disciplinary letters by email, not only through the child.
- Agree a regular call time with your child, and ask the school how phone access works for boarders.
- Ask the guardian to attend visiting days and to look at the dormitory and dining hall, not only meet the child at the gate.
- Keep copies of your child's passport, birth certificate and medical records with the guardian.
Ask the school how its sick bay works: whether a nurse is on site, which hospital it refers boarders to, and whether treatment there is billed to you. Give the school a written note of allergies and regular medicines, and the guardian's authority to consent to emergency treatment. If your child is on a health plan through an HMO, give the school the card details. Ask, too, how the school tells parents about a child who is unwell, and how quickly; a call to the guardian the same day should be the minimum.
Travel between the US and Nigeria
The State Department's Nigeria page (updated June 2026) says Nigerian minors, including dual US citizens, travelling without a parent need notarised written permission, and that US-Nigerian dual nationals must have a valid Nigerian passport to leave Nigeria. Check both passports well before each holiday.
What to check first
- Have you seen the full fee schedule, including one-off and annual items?
- Is there a written guardian arrangement the school has on file?
- Do you know how pocket money is held and recorded?
- Are both of your child's passports valid for the next trip home?
Where Pryme fits
Keep term fees in dollars in a Pryme account and convert with Swap close to the due date; the app shows the rate and the fee before you approve. If you want to put naira aside term by term, a Savings Box keeps it apart from other money, and a verifiable receipt through VerifyDoc.ai helps if a payment is ever queried. See also paying your child's school in Nigeria and proving you paid school fees.
Questions people ask
How much is boarding school in Nigeria per term?
It varies widely by school and city. Ask for the full fee schedule; tuition, boarding and feeding, uniforms, books, levies and pocket money all add up. Lagos private schools raised fees by 30 to 40% for 2026/27, Vanguard reported.
Can I pay my child's boarding school fees directly from the US?
Yes. Pay the account on the school's official invoice and keep each receipt; your provider must show the rate and fee before you pay.
Who should be my child's guardian at a Nigerian boarding school?
An adult who lives within reach of the school and can respond quickly. Give the school their details and a signed letter setting out what they can decide.
Does my dual-citizen child need a Nigerian passport to leave Nigeria?
The US State Department says US-Nigerian dual nationals are now required to have a valid Nigerian passport to leave Nigeria.
Sources
- AllAfrica (Vanguard): Lagos private schools raise fees for September 2026 (14 Sep 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- IRS: Instructions for Form 709 (2025), educational and medical exclusions · accessed Oct 2026
- US Department of State: Nigeria international travel information (updated 25 Jun 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- CFPB: What is a remittance transfer and what are my rights? · accessed Oct 2026
- IRS IR-2026-48: proposed regulations on the remittance transfer tax (10 Apr 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.