The Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) has announced it will finalise the remaining tuition fee payments to students by September.
A total number of 17 232 students are eligible for funding for the 2022 academic year.
This is after some students, including those outside the country, expressed anxiety over the sluggish payment of tuition fees by NSFAF for their education.
“We, the students, especially international students, are not happy with the service that we are getting at your office. Some of the students are not attending classes because your office is yet to pay their tuition fees. Exams are approaching and we are not certain if we will write the exams despite signing contracts with NSFAF long time. Please pay our tuition fees,” students complained.
Contacted for comment, NSFAF spokesperson Olavi Hamwele yesterday said the fund abides by the principle that each case should be treated on its own merit.
With regard to tuition and non-tuition fees, Hamwele said to date, NSFAF has paid a total of N$886 million, representing 76% execution rate of the student budget for 2022/2023 financial year.
“We aspire to execute the remaining 24% by September 2022, provided that students have signed their contracts and invoices from the institutions of higher learning are received,” he indicated.
NSFAF received N$1.4 billion in this year’s budget, although the fund had hoped for N$1.6 billion.
- anakale@nepc.com.na