Many Nigerian parents have this same experience of their child who has gained admission abroad, and the school has sent an invoice for the school fees, and while the session is approaching, you gather documents, go to the bank, fill out Form A and feel relieved that you have finally “done your own part.”

Then the calls and messages start:

• “Your Form A is incomplete.”

• “CBN has not approved it.”

• “We need to review it again. You can come back next week.”

Meanwhile, the school is sending reminders, late fee notices and sometimes even threats to cancel admission if payment is not made on time. It can be very frustrating and emotionally draining.

On paper, Form A is supposed to be the official, straightforward way to pay school fees abroad from Nigeria. But in reality, small mistakes, unclear documents, and fear of “getting it wrong” within the bank can lead to repeated rejections.

What Exactly Is Form A?

Form A is simply a request for permission, more like you are asking the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), through your commercial banks, to allow your naira to be converted into foreign currency and sent outside the country for a specific, approved purpose, like the fee payments.

When you submit Form A to your bank, the bank is not just acting as a messenger. It must also check:

1. Whether the purpose you wrote (school fees) is truly genuine.

2. Whether the documents you attached match that purpose.

3. Whether the money you are using has a clear and legal source.

4. Whether the CBN rules for that category are being followed.

If the bank staff are not satisfied in any of these areas, or if they are afraid that CBN may query them later, the easiest thing for them to do is reject or delay your application.

So, most Form A problems are not “mystery” problems. They usually fall into a few common areas, which we will now go through one by one.

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1. When the Names in Your Documents Do Not Match

One very common cause of trouble is a name mismatch.

The bank officer looking at your file wants to be sure that:

• The person on the admission letter

• The person on the school invoice

• The person on the passport

• And the person on the bank account

…are all clearly connected.

But in real life, this is not always straightforward. For example:

• The school uses “Chidera N. Okafor”

• The passport says “Okafor Chidera Nkemjika”

• The bank account has “Chidera Nkem Okafor”

To you, it is obviously the same child. To a compliance officer who does not know you personally, it can look like three different people.

The situation becomes even more confusing when a sponsor is involved. Maybe the father’s name is on the account, but the school documents only show the child’s name. If there is nothing in writing that connects the parent and the child, some banks will hesitate.

How to make this easier:

• Ensure that the school has the student’s full legal name, as it appears on the passport. If there is a difference, ask the school to correct it and send a fresh letter or invoice.

• If a parent or relative is paying, it is helpful to have a simple sponsorship letter that clearly states:
  “I, Mr Emmanuel Okafor, am the father of Okafor Chidera Nkemjika, and I am responsible for paying her school fees.”

• Attach a copy of the sponsor’s ID, so the bank can see that the person signing that letter is real and matches the name on the paying account.

Once the names and relationships are clear on paper, the bank has less reason to be afraid.

2. When the Bank Is Not Sure What You Are Paying For

Form A is not a general “send money abroad for anything” form. It is tied to specific purposes such as:

• School fees

• Medical bills

• Certain types of services, etc.

So if the bank cannot clearly see that the invoice you are presenting is for genuine school fees, they may reject it.

Some common examples are:

• The invoice only shows accommodation or hostel fees, and nothing about tuition.

• The invoice has one line that simply says “Outstanding balance – $5,000” with no breakdown.

• The payment is actually going to a third-party company (for example, a separate hostel company) and not directly to the school.

Some banks are strict and want the payment to go directly to the university’s official account for them to classify it under school fees. Others are more flexible, especially if the accommodation is compulsory and clearly linked to the school.

To reduce problems, it is better to ask the school for a detailed invoice, which:

• Clearly mentions tuition, and

• List other compulsory charges (for example, accommodation, health insurance, registration fees) in a way that obviously relates to your child’s study.

When the invoice speaks clearly, the bank has less work to do in “guessing” what you are paying for.

3. When the Source of the Money Looks Unclear or Suspicious

The third major area is the source of funds.

In recent years, banks in Nigeria have become very careful about where money is coming from and where it is going. They are expected to make sure they are not helping anyone move illegal funds out of the country.

So, when you apply for Form A, the bank is not only looking at the invoice. They are also quietly asking:

• Does the amount fit the normal activity in this account?

• Has this account been dormant for a long time and suddenly become active with very large transfers?

• Is there a simple, believable story behind this money?

If a student account that has been receiving only small allowances suddenly wants to send $20,000 out, and there is no sponsor document, some banks will immediately slow down or reject the application.

If the naira you are using has moved through three or four personal accounts in a few days before landing in your own, it can also make the story look suspicious.

To avoid that:

• Let the person who is truly paying (parent, uncle, family friend) be visible in the process.

• It is usually cleaner if the sponsor either:

  • Pays directly from their own account via Form A, or

  • Transfers money into the student’s account in a way that is traceable and then provides a sponsor letter and ID.

• When amounts are very large, some banks may quietly request proof of income or a bank statement from the sponsor. This is not to punish you, but to protect themselves.

If your money trail on paper makes sense, it becomes easier for the bank to defend your transaction if CBN ever asks them questions.

4. When the Documents Are Incomplete, Old or Poorly Prepared

Another very common and very avoidable reason for Form A trouble is weak documentation.

Think about what the bank needs to see as a complete picture:

• Proof that your child really has admission.

• Proof of how much the school is asking you to pay, and in which currency.

• Proof of who the student is (passport).

• Proof of who is paying (account holder and possibly sponsor).

If any of these are missing, expired, unclear, or poorly scanned, the bank may either delay your application or reject it.

Here are some simple things that make a big difference:

• Use the current admission and invoice documents. If the invoice is for the last session, or for an old amount the school has already updated, correct that first with the school.

• Make sure the invoice contains the school’s full name, official bank details, and the exact foreign currency and amount to be paid.

• When scanning or snapping documents, ensure that nothing is cut off and that the image is clear and readable.

• Put everything together in one neat folder, either physical or digital, before going to the bank or starting the online Form A process.

Many parents are rejected not because CBN refused, but because one line was missing somewhere, and the bank did not want to “manage” it. Neat, complete documents make you look organised and make the bank more comfortable.

5. When the School or Country Raises Extra Concerns

Sometimes, the problem is not your child, not your money, and not even your documents. It is the destination.

Some countries and regions are considered higher risk by international regulators. Some small schools are not well-known and are hard for the bank to verify. In those cases, the bank’s internal “compliance department” may hold on to the application for longer or ask for extra information.

You might hear phrases like:

• “We have sent it to compliance.”

• “We are waiting for approval from head office.”

This can be frustrating, especially when you are racing against school deadlines. But it helps to understand their position: if they send money to a suspicious institution, they can get into trouble later.

If you sense this is the problem:

• Provide the official website of the school.

• If available, share any accreditation documents or official letters that prove the school is recognised.

• Ask calmly if there is any specific additional document that would make the compliance team more comfortable.

If your bank clearly seems uncomfortable with a particular destination, you can also consider:

• Using a bigger bank that already has more experience with that country, or

• Using an official tuition payment platform that your school recommends (we will talk about that shortly).

6.  Timing and FX Supply Problems

There is another kind of “rejection” that parents experience, which is not always spoken clearly.

Sometimes your Form A is correct, your documents are perfect, and there is no big problem with names, school or country. Yet the bank keeps saying things like:

• “We are still waiting for the CBN allocation.”

• “We will process it when we have forex.”

• “You can check back in a few days.”

In this case, the issue is often foreign exchange availability, not your paperwork. There may be many people applying at the same time, and limited dollars or euros available to satisfy everyone.

When that happens, applications can be delayed for weeks or quietly pushed aside, even if they are technically “approved”.

This is why timing is very important. As soon as the school sends the invoice and confirms your child’s place, it is wise to start the Form A process. Waiting until the very last minute gives you no room to correct anything or react if there is a queue for forex.

You can also ask your bank simple, respectful questions, such as:

• “How long does Form A for school fees usually take with your bank?”

• “Are there particular days or times when you process these applications?”

This will not change CBN policy, but it will give you more realistic expectations.

7. When Amount and Currency Do Not Match the Invoice

Finally, even when everything else looks fine, some Form A applications fail or are delayed because of amount and currency mistakes.

If the school invoice is in euros, but you apply in dollars on the Form A, some banks will decline it. If you try to use your own black market conversion rate and write a different amount from what appears on the invoice, that can also confuse.

To keep things simple, it is usually best to:

• Apply in the same currency that appears on the school invoice.

• Use the exact amount in that invoice, unless the bank and the school have both agreed that you can make a part payment.

When numbers and currency match from invoice to Form A, the bank does not need to do extra guesswork.

Why Parents Still Fight for Form A

At this point, you might ask, “With all this stress, why don’t people just use another method entirely?”

The main reason is cost.

Imagine your child’s school fees are $5,000. If your bank can successfully process Form A at an official rate of, say, ₦1,400 per dollar (hypothetical example), then you will pay around ₦7,000,000 in naira.

If you abandon Form A and look for dollars at a parallel market rate of ₦1,700 per dollar, that same $5,000 will now require ₦8,500,000.

The difference is:

₦8.5 million – ₦7 million = ₦1.5 million extra

For most families, ₦1.5 million is not a small amount. It can cover rent, feeding, or another term of local schooling for a younger sibling. That is why many parents are willing to patiently fix Form A issues instead of immediately giving up on it.

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What You Can Do When Form A Is Not Working

Even with the best efforts, there are times when Form A may still not work out on time for you. It is important to remember that Form A is not the only way to pay school fees. There are other options, each with its own advantages and disadvantages.

Letting a Sponsor Abroad Pay Directly

If you have a trusted relative or sponsor living abroad, they may be able to pay the school directly from their own foreign bank account. You then reimburse them in naira or in some other agreed way.

This method removes Nigerian banks from the foreign part of the transaction, which can avoid some delays. But you still need to think carefully about how you get the naira across and how much you will spend on conversion.

Using a Trusted Educational or Payment Service

There are also organisations and consultants whose business is to help families pay foreign school fees. They collect naira locally and use their own international channels to pay the school, then give you evidence of payment.

This option can be convenient, but it requires a lot of caution. Before using such a service, you should:

• Check how long they have been in business.

• Read reviews or speak to other families who used them.

• Understand their fees clearly in writing.

They will generally be faster and more flexible when time is short. Try Exswap to efficiently handle the Payments.

Final Thoughts

For many Nigerian families, paying school fees abroad is one of the biggest financial and emotional commitments they will ever make. When Form A keeps bouncing back or delaying, it can feel like the system is personally fighting you.

But once you understand how the banks and CBN look at your application, it stops being a mystery and turns into a process you can manage.
But, if all this bank wahala is too much, Exswap can quietly handle the payments seamlessly for you.