New funding model urged

The executive chairperson of the National Youth Council, Mandela Kapere has said that tertiary education in Namibia is becoming increasingly unaffordable for the many students who come from underprivileged families. He has called on stakeholders and government to take a fresh look at solutions for the education funding model.Kapere is of the view that if the education funding model is not tweaked to accommodate hundreds of academically deserving and underprivileged students, many will be left on the streets because they cannot afford exorbitant university fees. He called on the public and private sector to work with one another to come up with a better funding model that would benefit students. “Such a funding model will not only eliminate the outcry caused by the University of Namibia's demand for 50% upfront, but will also remove the obstacles to the progress of the academically deserving and the underprivileged student and avoid sending capable young people to the street,” he said.He added he recognised that there are many ways in which students can pay for their studies including through scholarships, bursaries and loans, but says they are limited because they are inaccessible to far too many.“In some cases, the requirement attached to this type of assistance makes it inaccessible. We therefore need to develop and fast-track a higher education funding model that is efficient and sustainable and that will meet the funding challenges of underprivileged students,” he urged.He noted that organisations such as the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) do not operate as smoothly as they should because many of previous beneficiaries do not pay back their loans after they get into the job market. “The demand for financial assistance from NSFAF outweighs what it can support and the institution is not meeting its goals because many beneficiaries do not pay back loans. For this fact alone, other students are deprived the opportunity to benefit from NSFAF,” he said.He also welcomed the prompt intervention of President Hage Geingob into the NSFAF financial crisis and government's allocation of an additional N$150 million in order for the fund to meet its obligations. Shona Ngava

New funding model urged

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Namibian Sun 2025-11-04

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New funding model urged

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Namibian Sun 2025-11-04

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