Updated for April 2025, this student guide shows 9–15-year-olds how to lock in 20 k/s calls, buy ₦50/₦600 education bundles, trigger birthday rewards and link a parent SIM for safe top-ups—plus real savings maths compared with the pricey 30 k/s default.
When the NCC hiked Nigeria’s voice-tariff floor to 30 kobo per second in March 2025, most prepaid lines got an overnight bill shock. For pupils running on weekly allowances, every 1-minute “please where are you?” call now costs ₦18. MTN’s mPulse stayed at 20 k/s and kept its ultra-cheap study data, making it the go-to lifeline for cash-strapped families. This guide explains exactly how to activate mPulse, load the education bundles and squeeze every kobo of value out of the plan.
Why mPulse Still Beats The Rest In 2025
|
Feature |
mPulse |
Default Prepaid (Pulse/BetaGist) |
|
Local call rate |
20 k/s |
23–30 k/s |
|
PAYG data |
₦3.07/MB (opt-in) |
Same |
|
Study bundles |
300 MB ₦50 • 4 GB ₦600 |
None |
|
Freebies |
₦200 birthday airtime, 30 MB first visit |
None |
|
Parental controls |
Yes – Parent-Child link, allowances |
No |
|
Age bracket |
9-15 only |
N/A |
A student who chats 150 minutes a month saves ₦1 350 per term compared with 30 k/s PAYG—that’s pens, jotters and a lunch or two.
mPulse Voice & Education-Bundle Cheat-Sheet
|
Bundle / Rate |
Price |
Data / Minutes |
Validity |
How To Activate |
|
Local calls |
— |
20 k/s |
Pay-as-you-talk |
Already active after migration |
|
300 MB Education |
₦50 |
300 MB |
7 days |
SMS 350 → 344 or dial *344# → 1 |
|
4 GB Education |
₦600 |
4 GB |
30 days |
SMS 353 → 344 or dial *344# → 2 |
|
Free 30 MB |
₦0 |
30 MB |
30 days |
Auto on first portal visit |
|
Birthday bonus |
₦0 |
₦200 airtime |
24 h |
Register DOB via *344# → Rewards |
White-listed study sites include: uLesson, Khan Academy, WAEC e-Curriculum, mPulse portal games-for-learning and more (MTN updates the list quarterly).
Getting On mPulse In Three Clicks
|
Method |
Steps |
Time Taken |
|
USSD |
Dial *344*1# → 1 (Confirm) |
< 30 s |
|
SMS |
Send mPulse to 344 |
< 1 min |
|
myMTN NG App |
Login → Tariff Plans → mPulse → Switch |
Depends on data |
First migration inside 30 days is free; later moves cost ₦102.
Parent-Child Linking: Safety Net For Pocket-Money
- Parent dials *344# → 3 (Parent/Child Link) → Add child .
- Child receives a prompt and presses 1 to accept.
- Parent sets weekly or monthly airtime/data allowance (e.g., ₦1 000 + 1 GB).
- From now on, top-ups from the parent line show “Transfer from Parent” and never exceed the cap.
Up to six children attach to one parent; each child can have two parents for backup funding.
Quick Savings Scenarios
|
Student |
Monthly Call Minutes |
Study Data Need |
PAYG Cost @30 k/s |
mPulse Cost |
Monthly Saving |
|
Chidera (JSS2) |
90 |
1.2 GB |
₦1 620 + ₦3 684 (PAYG data) |
₦1 080 + ₦600 (4 GB) |
₦3 624 |
|
Bolu (Boarder) |
150 |
900 MB |
₦2 700 + ₦2 763 |
₦1 800 + ₦300 (300 MB × 1) + ₦922 (additional PAYG) |
₦1 741 |
|
Favour (Exam Year) |
50 |
5 GB intensive |
₦900 + ₦15 350 |
₦600 + ₦6 000 (10 × 600) |
₦9 650 |
All calculations assume PAYG data ₦3.07/MB.
One-Swipe Setup Checklist For New Students
|
Task |
Code / Action |
|
Migrate line |
*344*1# → mPulse |
|
Buy study bundle |
SMS 350 to 344 (weekly) |
|
Register birthday |
*344# → Rewards → Birthday |
|
Parent link |
Parent dials *344# → Parent/Child Link |
|
Balance check |
3442*2# (bundles) • *310# (main) |
|
Block PAYG data |
Dial 312201# |
Hidden Fees, Expiry Traps & How To Dodge Them
|
Pitfall |
What It Does |
Quick Fix |
|
Second migration fee |
Each extra switch inside 30 days costs ₦102 |
Stay on mPulse at least a full month |
|
Bundle auto-renew |
Weekly or monthly education bundle re-buys if you chose “Recurrent” |
Text STOP 350 (weekly) or STOP 353 (monthly) to 344 |
|
PAYG data leak |
When study bundle empties, browsing pauses—but a single 312200# opt-in re-opens PAYG at ₦3.07/MB |
Keep PAYG blocked with 312201# until you top-up another study bundle |
|
Birthday bonus expiry |
₦200 airtime vanishes 24 h after credit |
Use it for a quick call or small bundle immediately |
|
White-list rule |
Education data fails on TikTok/YouTube |
Keep a small standard data bundle (e.g., Betamix Mini) for non-school sites |
Save An Extra 1 – 2 % With SmartSMSSolutions
- Create a wallet at SmartSMSSolutions.com or in its Android app (registration is free).
- Fund the wallet via transfer, USSD, or card; funds appear instantly.
- Tap Airtime & Data → Buy Airtime, choose MTN, enter the child’s number and amount.
- A ₦1 000 recharge costs ≈ ₦980–₦990 after the 1 – 2 % discount.
- Schedule allowances: in “Bulk Airtime” you can pre-set weekly top-ups that arrive every Monday at 6 a.m.—perfect for parents managing pocket-money.
Twelve months of ₦2 000 monthly top-ups saves ₦240–₦480—enough for 4–8 extra 300 MB study bundles.
Advanced Data-Stretch Hacks For Students
|
Trick |
How To Do It |
Extra Saving |
|
Night file downloads |
Schedule big videos 11 p.m.–6 a.m. with Pulse friend’s hotspot or hostel Wi-Fi |
Off-load heavy GB from mPulse bundle |
|
Google Go / Opera Mini |
Install lightweight browsers that compress pages up to 90 % |
A 5 MB article shrinks to 0.5 MB |
|
YouTube “Save Offline” on Wi-Fi |
Pre-download lessons in school café; watch later using zero mobile data |
Full HD lecture = 0 MB mobile use |
|
Disable auto-updates |
Play Store → Settings → Auto-update Apps → “Over Wi-Fi only” |
Stops stealth MB leaks |
|
WhatsApp voice notes instead of calls |
1-min voice note ≈ 100 KB vs 60 KB/sec for voice call |
Cuts chat data by ~90 % |
Frequently Asked Questions
|
Q |
A |
|
Can I use education MB on Google Classroom? |
Yes—Google Classroom is on the white-list. |
|
What happens when I turn 16? |
MTN sends an SMS and may move you to Pulse; education bundles stop. |
|
Can I link two parents to one child? |
Yes—each child can accept up to two parent SIMs. |
|
Is the 4 GB bundle shareable? |
No—education data can’t be shared or transferred. |
|
How do I check bundle balance quickly? |
Dial *3442 2# or general *310# for all balances. |
|
Can the child line borrow XtraTime? |
Yes—borrowed airtime works at 20 k/s but does not earn any bonus. |
|
Does mPulse support VoLTE / VoWi-Fi? |
Yes—call rate stays 20 k/s as long as you use the MTN IMS core. |
|
What if the parent SIM is post-paid? |
Parent-child link works only if the parent line is prepaid . |
Conclusion: Turn Pocket-Change Into Months Of Learning & Chatting
With Nigeria’s new 30 k/s pay-as-you-go reality, mPulse is the lifeline that keeps students connected without draining allowances:
- 20 k/s voice—still the network’s lowest adult-free rate.
- ₦50 / 300 MB and ₦600 / 4 GB education bundles slash study costs by up to 87 % versus PAYG.
- Parent-child link ensures airtime never spirals out of control.
- A SmartSMSSolutions wallet trims another 1 – 2 %, compounding savings into extra data and revision time.
Set up the plan, activate study bundles, schedule discounted top-ups, and focus on grades—not on frantic “data finished” alerts.