Julina Kaakunga
THE Namibian National Students Organisation (Nanso) has called on the Namibian Students Financial Assistant Fund (NSFAF) to modernise its financial model and decentralise operations.
Nanso president Lucia Ndishishi said NSFAF needs to decentralise operations to also support students in other regions and not just those who find themselves in Khomas.
She said some students keep approaching the fund but are not given the support they need.
“NSFAF must be on the ground, at every institution and campus throughout the registration period, for students to be able to access their services effectively, as it cannot just be students in Khomas region, who cannot afford the taxi fare to NSFAF to get the necessary assistance,” she said during the organisation’s launch of “Access to Higher Education” at the International University of Management (IUM) on Monday.
The student leader went on to say the fund has repeatedly and unjustifiably delayed its proceedings, demoralising students and maybe leaving others without the financial wherewithal to pursue higher education.
“We continue to call on NSFAF, to continue innovating its financial model, if NSFAF is struggling, then they must consult us as students as we have ideas on how we must be funded, ideas on how our resources must fund our education in Namibia,” said Ndishishi.
She urged NSFAF to fast-track its response for readmissions and immediately reveal the list of those who were rejected and those who were accepted so that students can begin to understand what options they have for funding.
“The registration period is almost over, and some students are unsure if they will receive funding or not. The fund is said to have repeatedly and unjustifiably delayed its proceedings, demoralising students and maybe leaving others without the financial wherewithal to pursue higher education,” she said.
The student body wants NSFAF to settle all unpaid fees, including non-tuition, for the year 2019 by February 2024.
University admissions
Ndishishi highlighted that many institutions of higher learning in Namibia continue to deny students the right to access higher and vocational education, due to very high registration fees, as well as historic debts and short registration periods.
Due to this, she said students want higher education institutions to do away with the mandatory deposit on tuition fees paid together with registration fees, and only charge the registration fees.
This, Ndishishi said, would provide some financial relief for students from disadvantaged backgrounds who cannot afford these high registration fees.
“Likewise, we the students feel that no trainee or student should be excluded from registration because of past debt. It is imperative to grant enrolment and admission to students who have outstanding obligations. Students come from incredibly difficult socioeconomic conditions and cannot afford to pay for their registration, they should not be denied,” she said.
Marginalised
Ndishishi said the student body recognises the commendable efforts being made by educational institutions to provide students from underprivileged and indigenous communities access to higher education and vocational training.
Nonetheless, many marginalised students are unaware of the options and procedures available to them, and many are always turned away by institutions of higher learning, and the scarcity of student accommodation remains a barrier to education, she said.
She added that unacceptable practices such as gender-based restrictions as observed in institutions such as IUM and NUST must cease immediately,
“This year, Nanso is going to be very serious about arresting the exploitative views of students’ needs or profit especially its private student accommodation,” said Ndishishi.
On international students, the youth leader advised all institutions of higher learning to strictly follow the SADC education protocol.
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