WINDHOEK – The newly introduced passing threshold as per the Namibia Student Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF)’s board decision not to fund students with less than 35 points who are studying abroad has left some students in a financial mess as they cannot secure funds to complete their studies.
About 56 of the affected students are at Great Zimbabwe University studying Bachelor of Education Honours Degree secondary and primary.
In an email sent to New Era, the group bemoaned, “we applied for a loan in 2013 before the requirements of 35 points was put in process because most of us have not reached those points. We have been crying for our Namibian Student Fund Assistance to consider helping us several times since we are now in our second year but to no avail.”
Since January this year, NSFAF announced that students who wish to apply for state funding to study at foreign institutions are required to have obtained a minimum of 35 points and above in Grade 12.
Although the decision doesn’t apply to students who went to study abroad before the decision was taken, some students were awarded acknowledgement letters but were not awarded loans and bursaries.
Students claim that their tuition fees is about U$1845 (about N$20 000) excluding meals per semester, and since the university has two semesters, it means students need more than N$40 000 per year.
“There are two semesters in a year and our parents cannot afford to pay, and now we haven’t register due to financial problems and we also have outstanding amounts we owe the university,” the group complained.
The students are afarid of losing money if they quit as their parents paid last year’s tuition fees with the hope of getting government funding for this year. Fillemon Immanuel, NSFAF spokesperson on Friday told New Era that NSFAF has already decided not to fund students with less than 35 points who are studying abroad, does not have retrospective effect.
However, Immanuel explained that if any student went before the 2013 decision, and his or her application is recorded as unsuccessful in their records, it is probably due to not passing other requirement factors that form part of the consideration during selection process.
He also said the fund sympathises with students, but their policy position should be observed in the march toward national prosperity.
“Students should also learn to be truthful, such that when one does not qualify or meet the requirements, she or he must bravely state as such,” he said.