Windhoek
The Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund says it is fully aware of the concerns that a number of students have raised regarding refunds. In an effort to provide clarity and explain both the position of the students and the NSFAF, consultations have been held with several institutions of higher learning, as well as student leaders.
Since the establishment of the fund, NSFAF used to make payments directly to institutions of higher learning and after the institutions have deducted their dues, they paid the remainder of the money to the student. This caused unnecessary delays for the students, who sometimes had to wait for the entire year before receiving their refunds.
The NSFAF was established to facilitate the pursuit of tertiary education of Namibian students and it was felt that procedures needed to be amended so that they would directly benefit the students.
Since the beginning of 2014 the fund introduced a pilot project to split tuition and non-tuition fees. The fund paid tuition fees directly to institutions of higher learning while the non-tuition fees were paid directly to students.
This new policy and process gives the students a great deal of financial independence. Knowing how to manage finances is an essential life skill for students. The students can now utilize non-tuition fees for other essential educational support activities. They can use this money to buy books, pay for taxis and even accommodation, provided there’s enough money remaining, once the fund has paid their tuition fees.
This pilot project was rolled out at both the University of Science and Technology and the International University of Management. In 2015 it was extended to the University of Namibia.