WINDHOEK- The Namibia University of Science and Technology (Nust) says new and continuing students will be required to pay up a full deposit tuition fees of N$4 200 upon registration, which already started on Monday.
A N$4 200 deposit on tuition fees (including a non-refundable registration fee of N$1 600) is payable upfront for undergraduate and honours degrees; while N$8 400 is payable for master and doctorate degrees.
Unlike the Universty of Namibia (Unam) which this year decided to be generous to its new and continuing students by lowering the deposits of tuition fees, Nust students face a different scenario.
Unam took a decision not to charge a 50 percent tuition fee deposit as it has been doing over the years, but rather give Namibian students leeway to pay N$3 200 for deposit on tuition regardless of their field of study.
Unam spokesperson John Haufiku yesterday explained that the normal minimum fee to pay at registration is N$5 350.
He said out of that amount, N$3 200 is meant for deposit on tuition fees, and the remaining N$2 150 is to cover administrative and connectivity fees.
For Sadc students, an amount of N$4 800 is payable as deposit tuition fees and N$5 150 will be paid for registration fees.
Over the years, many students have been struggling to pay upfront their full tuition fees at various institutions of higher learning.
However, in an interview yesterday, Nust registrar Moss Garde said the status quo remains.
“Up to this point, no one has approached me about reducing or increasing or doing anything with the registration fees. So, students have to pay N$4 200 upon registration which goes towards tuition fees,” Garde said.
He said registration already started on Monday and will run until January 31.
Tuition fees do not include other expenses such as books (except study guides for distance education students), stationery, accommodation and transport.
Regarding accommodation, Nust offers three hostels on campus that provide bed capacity of 417 to both male and female full-time students.
A deposit on residence fees of N$4 200 including refundable breakage fee of N$1 120 is payable.
Due to limited spaces available, Nust gives preference to students residing outside the boundaries of the City of Windhoek.
The kitchen services provide students with a wide range of nutritional meals served at breakfast, lunch and dinner. All residence students will be levied 50 percent of the meal fees per semester which is payable whether meals are taken or not.
In December, Unam council approved the hostel fees for all its campuses which are payable upfront per semester at registration with all categories breakfast included besides for Health Sciences North and Health Sciences Windhoek.
Namibian and Sadc students accepted in the hostel at the Main, Neudamm, Ogongo campuses and the Sam Nujoma Marine and Coastal Resources Research Centre are required to pay N$12 860 per student, while non-Sadc students will pay a whopping N$21 360.
Those Namibian and Sadc students who are accepted in the hostel at Hifikepunye Pohamba, Khomasdal, Katima, Rundu and Southern campuses will pay N$9400 compared to non-Sadc ones who will foot N$14 440 for the same accommodation.
Council also approved that those Namibian and Sadc students enrolled for hostel at Jose Eduardo Dos Santos will pay N$15 830, while non-Sadc students will pay N$27 110, whereas locals and Sadc ones accepted in the hostel at Health Sciences North will pay N$9000, compared to non-Sadc students who will pay N$32 020.
The fees are relatively higher when compared to last year’s charges for hostel.
For 2018, Namibian and Sadc students in the hostel at Main; Neudamm; Ogongo; José Eduardo Dos Santos and Sam Nujoma campuses (breakfast included) paid N$11 630, while non-Sadc paid N$15 230.
Locals and Sadc ones at Hifikepunye Pohamba; Khomasdal; Katima Mulilo; Rundu and Southern campuses (breakfast included) last year paid N$7550, while non-SADC paid N$11 070 for the same accommodation.
For Health Sciences North (breakfast excluded), locals and Sadc students paid N$8400 for hostel compared to non-Sadc who had to settle an amount of N$16 800, while Namibian and Sadc students at health sciences Windhoek (breakfast excluded) paid N$14 400 unlike non-Sadc who paid N$28 800.