NSFAF to extend funding

Of 6 339 loans given to undergraduate students by the Namibia Student Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) last year, only 42 went to students from the Kunene Region.
The Kunene, Omaheke and Hardap regions have had lowest numbers of applications for study loans for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
NSFAF says this could be attributed to high grade 12 failure rates in the three regions.
In 2015, only 42 learners from the Kunene Region were awarded loans for undergraduate programmes, compared to the Oshana Region which had 791 successful applicants.
Oshana has had consistently high numbers of loan recipients over the last five years - 917 in 2011, 1 078 in 2012, 1 398 in 2013 and 771 in 2014.
The Omaheke Region had only 51 successful applicants last year, and Hardap 81. Despite having 402 recipients, Kavango East is also worrisome considering how densely populated it is.
For undergraduate studies abroad, Omaheke, Zambezi and Kunene received no loans last year, while learners from Khomas received 106 loans followed by Oshikoto with 21 and Omusati with 21.
Education, medicine, nursing and public administration are the most popular study directions.
In respect of undergraduate studies, 1 569 education students received loans last year, followed by medicine, nursing and related science (1 345 loans) and public administration (996 loans).
Only 109 students in agriculture and veterinary science were granted loans last year, while those in the fields of communication, conservation and tourism received 200 loans.
Law students were granted 192 loans and those studying humanities and social work received 233 loans. No study loans were granted for police and strategic studies last year. Altogether 6 339 loans were granted last year for undergraduate programmes.
In terms of postgraduate studies, 68 finance (CA) students received loans, followed by education (40). The lowest numbers of loans (10) were granted for postgraduate studies in English, law (11) and environmental and land management (11).
NSFAF provides loans for local undergraduate studies at the University of Namibia, Polytechnic of Namibia and the International University of Science and Management.
The Fund says one of the challenges being experienced is the signing of loan agreements by minors, as parents are often unavailable or unwilling to sign contracts.
While revealing the statistics yesterday, NSFAF chief human capital development officer Olavi Hamwele said the low number of loans for some regions could be attributed to high failure rates in those regions.
After being informed of the statistics yesterday, Education, Arts and Culture Minister Katrina Hanse-Himarwa said the loan distribution was not reflective of the regions’ rankings in the grade 12 examination results. “NSFAF needs to distribute loans and scholarships in a fair and balanced manner,” she said.
Speaking at the same event, NSFAF company secretary Fillemon Wise Immanuel said the fund was reviewing its funding policy to make it more inclusive. “NASFAF is reviewing and looking at its award policy to make sure every deserving student gets funding. The challenge remains that some students in the most remote area remain unaware of the existence of this entity,” he said.

GORDON JOSEPH