40,000 NSFAF APPLICATIONS APPROVED NBC Online Thu, 09/10/2026 - 17:30

Sostenus Wilherm Education minister Sanet Steenkamp has revealed that NSFAF received 56 075 applications this year, with 38 419 approved for funding, while 17 586 others remain at different stages of the validation process or have been unsuccessful. The figures were presented by Steenkamp in the National Assembly on Thursday to provide the clearest indication yet of the volume of applications being handled by the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF), as students continue to raise concerns over delayed financial assistance, particularly non-tuition payments. Steenkamp was responding to IPC member of parliament Bertha Nghifikwa, who questioned the continued delays in non-tuition payments and reminded Steenkamp that she had previously committed to completing the disbursement by July. Nghifikwa said students were now facing eviction and struggling to survive because they had not received their allowances. Steenkamp said NSFAF had received 56 075 applications to date but stressed that the validation and award process was still ongoing. “Now, I also wish to state that to date, we had 56,075 applicants for NSFAF. The validation process is something that is ongoing.” Of the 56 075 applications, 38 419 have been approved for funding, with invoices requested from institutions for disbursement. This leaves 17 586 applications that have not yet reached the approved stage, although Steenkamp’s breakdown places these applications into different categories rather than describing all of them as pending. According to the Minister, 9 325 students applied but were required to resubmit certain documents, while 1 845 validations were still in process. A further 6 416 applications were unsuccessful because of non-compliance, ineligibility or a lack of credible supporting documents. “9,325 students applied, but they have to resubmit certain documents. The credible supporting documents have not been submitted for many of them and are lacking. 1,845 validations are still in process,” Steenkamp said Steenkamp added that the 6 416 unsuccessful applications were linked to students who did not meet the funding requirements or failed to provide the necessary documentation. “Out of these 56 075, there are 6 416 applications that were unsuccessful. These are due to non-compliance, or students not eligible for funding, or a lack of credible supporting documents.” The figures come against the backdrop of a growing dispute over delayed non-tuition payments. Nghifikwa told Parliament that the minister had previously attributed delays to mistakes in application forms from new applicants and had later announced a N$247 million injection into NSFAF to help clear the backlog. She said both new and continuing beneficiaries had been affected and demanded an explanation for why students were still waiting in September. “We are now in September and most of the students do not receive or did not receive their non-tuition fee. As a result, Madam Speaker, most of them are facing eviction and many have resulted in desperate measures just to survive,” Nghifikwa said. Nghifikwa also pressed the ministry for timelines that students could rely on and asked what would be done to protect beneficiaries who were facing eviction while waiting for their allowances. “Since the students were all affected, what is the true cause of delay? And also to give us realistic timelines that are measurable and attainable.” Steenkamp explained that NSFAF had introduced three application periods this year, increasing the opportunities for eligible students to apply for assistance. The first application period ran from January to March, the second from May to June, while the third opened on 7 September and will close on 7 October. “The first one ran from January until March. The second one ran from May to June. And the third one is now in place from 7th September to 7th October,” Steenkamp said. The latest application window is aimed at qualifying students who are already enrolled at universities but did not previously apply for NSFAF funding. Steenkamp said the continuous intake of applications was one of the reasons the validation and award process remained ongoing. “Now, I said that the validating and the award processing is something that remains ongoing. Because we constantly receive new applications.” Steenkamp also provided a separate breakdown of continuing students and new intakes. She said 42 219 continuing students are funded, while institutions had submitted invoices for 28 869 new-intake students. For continuing students, NSFAF has paid N$1.3 billion, comprising N$835 million in tuition fees and N$445.2 million in non-tuition payments. The Minister said payments had been made to 37 186 continuing students. “To date, we’ve paid $1.3 billion for all continuing students. The tuition fees are $835 million, just this year. And for non-tuition, we’ve already paid $445.2 million.” For new-intake students, Steenkamp said NSFAF had disbursed N$717 million, including an advance payment made earlier in the year to public and private institutions. She clarified that the amount was tuition funding, including N$628 million paid at the beginning of the year. “A total amount, including the advance that we gave in the beginning of the year to public and to private institutions, a total amount of $717 million has been disbursed for new intake,” Steenkamp said.

Sostenus Wilherm Education minister Sanet Steenkamp has revealed that NSFAF received 56 075 applications this year, with 38 419 approved for funding, while 17 586 others remain at different stages of the validation process or have been unsuccessful. The figures were presented by Steenkamp in the National Assembly on Thursday to provide the clearest indication […]

About 40,000 applications for the Namibia Students' Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) have been approved out of 56,000. This was announced by the Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture, Sanet Steenkamp, in response to IPC MP, Bertha Nghifikwa, regarding students who have not received their non-tuition fees. Many, according to Ngifikwa, face eviction. “What is the Ministry going to do to assist the affected students that are currently facing eviction? How are you going to protect them to ensure that they are protected from being evicted while they are waiting for the non-tuition fee to be paid? God knows when they are going to be received.” Dr Steenkamp said more than 9,000 students were required to resubmit their applications with credible supporting documents for approval, therefore causing the delay. She also gave clarity on the figures for tuition fees that have been paid thus far. “We have paid N$1.3 billion for all continuing students. The tuition fees are N$855 million just this year. And for non-tuition, your specific reference, honorable, for non-tuition, we've already paid N$445.2 million. So that is in total N$ 37,186 in students for continuing that we paid. Now, let's look at the new intakes. Those for the very first time they got NSFAF payments.”

Staff Reporter THE Minister of Education, Dr Sanet Steenkamp, has announced the final application window for the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) for the 2026 academic year. The final application period will run until 7 October 2026. The Ministry explained that this follows requests from students and trainees who were unable to apply during the previous application windows. “Eligible students and trainees, including those enrolled or intending to enrol for the September 2026 intake, are encouraged to make use of this final opportunity and submit their applications through the official NSFAF platform before the closing date,” the Ministry added. The post Education Ministry announces final NSFAF application window for 2026 appeared first on Informanté.

As the 2026 academic year progresses, the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund continues to provide opportunities for students who require financial assistance to pursue their studies. For students who may have missed the earlier application windows or were unable to submit their applications for the 2026 funding cycle, NSFAF is opening a third online application process. The application window will run from 7 September to 7 October 2026, giving eligible students another opportunity to apply for financial assistance. Joining to provide more information about this opportunity, explain who can apply, and guide students through the application process is Percy Tjahere, Acting Deputy Executive Director at NSFAF.

Sostenus Wilherm The High Court has taken the next procedural step in a lawsuit in which the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) is seeking to recover more than N$4.3 million from its former chief executive, Hilya Nghiwete, following a Supreme Court judgment that upheld her dismissal. Judge Beatrix De Jager on Monday ordered the […]

Sostenus Wilherm The High Court has taken the next procedural step in a lawsuit in which the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) is seeking to recover more than N$4.3 million from its former chief executive, Hilya Nghiwete, following a Supreme Court judgment that upheld her dismissal. Judge Beatrix De Jager on Monday ordered the parties to file a joint case management report by 4 August 2026 before appearing for a case management conference on 11 August 2026. The report is expected to identify the issues in dispute, indicate the evidence to be presented and outline the readiness of the matter for trial. The civil action, instituted by NSFAF earlier this year, seeks to recover a total of N$4,301,277.36, excluding interest and legal costs, which the fund alleges was paid to Nghiwete under an arbitration award and a subsequent settlement agreement that ultimately lost their legal basis following a Supreme Court ruling. NSFAF is claiming N$2,178,249.09 in back pay, N$1,739,716.01 in monthly remuneration and bonuses, N$337,435.26 in pension fund contributions, and N$45,877 in other employment-related benefits, including Social Security contributions and an NSFAF loan recovery. The fund argues that all the payments were made while litigation over Nghiwete’s dismissal was still ongoing and in compliance with an arbitration award that had declared her dismissal unfair and ordered her reinstatement with full benefits. NSFAF further contends that the legal foundation for those payments disappeared after the Supreme Court overturned key findings made in Nghiwete’s favour. According to the claim, the Supreme Court’s judgment, delivered on 6 September 2024, upheld NSFAF’s cross-appeal, set aside the finding that Nghiwete had been unfairly dismissed and overturned the order requiring the fund to compensate her. NSFAF argues that, because of that judgment, the money paid to Nghiwete was no longer legally due. In its court papers, the fund states that Nghiwete was consequently unjustly enriched while NSFAF suffered a corresponding financial loss because it had made the payments in the bona fide belief that it was legally obliged to do so pending the outcome of the appeals. The dispute originates from Nghiwete’s dismissal on 7 February 2020 after disciplinary proceedings that had begun in 2018. She referred an unfair dismissal dispute to the Labour Commissioner, who ruled in her favour in July 2021, declaring the dismissal both substantively and procedurally unfair. The arbitrator ordered NSFAF to reinstate her and to pay the remuneration she would have earned had she not been dismissed. NSFAF appealed that ruling to the Labour Court. However, before the appeal was decided, the parties entered into a settlement agreement under which Nghiwete agreed that the reinstatement order would be suspended while the appeal was pending. In return, NSFAF paid her more than N$2.17 million in back pay and continued paying her monthly remuneration until the appeal process was concluded. The Labour Court later upheld the finding that the dismissal had been unfair but overturned the reinstatement order.  Both parties subsequently approached the Supreme Court, which ultimately ruled entirely in NSFAF’s favour by setting aside the unfair dismissal finding and the related compensation orders. NSFAF now maintains that because the Supreme Court’s decision is final, every payment made pursuant to the arbitration award and settlement agreement became recoverable once the legal basis for those payments fell away. The fund argues that Nghiwete has refused to repay the money despite demand, prompting the institution of the present civil action. Besides repayment of the N$4.3 million, NSFAF is seeking interest at 20% per annum from the date of judgment until final payment, together with legal costs.

[New Era] The National African Students' Association (NASA) has called for the decentralisation of the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF), saying the absence of regional offices continues to disadvantage thousands of students, particularly those in rural and remote communities.

A medical training college, Shiramed Medical Institute, has clarified that it does not accept cattle or other goods as direct payment for tuition fees, following reports that students were paying their fees through bartering. The institute says the arrangement dates back to a period before students could access funding through the Namibia Student Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF). At the time, some parents approached management, offering to settle their children's tuition fees using cattle and other goods. The institute, a subsidiary of Kamunu Holdings, which also operates an abattoir, allowed them to sell their cattle to the abattoir, then directed the proceeds towards the students' tuition fees. Director of Kamunu Holdings, Suhail Mhamiee, clarified, "What has been presented in the media recently contains many misconceptions. Some people are suggesting that students are bringing cattle to the school, which raises questions about where the school would keep the cattle. In reality, the students are selling their cattle to an abattoir that is part of the same company as the school. This process is no different from selling to any other abattoir, even if Meatco were still operational. The proceeds from the sale are then used to settle their tuition fees." The clarification comes after officials from the Ministry of Education met with the institute's management to address the public misconception. The Deputy Executive Director for Higher Education, Training, Research and Innovation, Dr.Lisho Mundia, advised the institution to publicly clarify the misleading reports. "You must separate businesses. I do understand fully what you mean, but you really need to separate businesses, so my first way forward, in fact, I'm just giving you directives on what to do: retract the practice completely and, secondly, release a media statement as an institute and make a media statement to correct facts." Dr. Mundia said that although bartering remains a common practice in some communities, the law does not allow tuition fees to be paid through such arrangements. He cautioned against the spread of unverified information, saying it could damage the reputation of legitimate local businesses and discourage investment in the education sector. He added that the Zambezi Region's strategic location, bordering four countries, presents significant opportunities for business and education, making it important to protect the credibility of legitimate institutions.

Patience Makwele  Welwitschia University Chancellor Scholastika Iipinge has called on the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) to fully cover tuition fees for students at private higher education institutions, saying partial funding continues to leave families carrying a financial burden despite government promises of equal treatment. Addressing the university’s ninth graduation ceremony in Windhoek on […]

The call by Welwitschia University Chancellor Scholastika Iipinge for the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) to fully fund students at private higher education institutions deserves serious consideration. It also demands a more honest national conversation about what “equal treatment” in tertiary education actually means. At the heart of the issue is a principle that […]

Patience Makwele  Welwitschia University Chancellor Scholastika Iipinge has called on the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) to fully cover tuition fees for students at private higher education institutions, saying partial funding continues to leave families carrying a financial burden despite government promises of equal treatment. Addressing the university’s ninth graduation ceremony in Windhoek on […]

Patience Makwele  Welwitschia University Chancellor Scholastika Iipinge has called on the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) to fully cover tuition fees for students at private higher education institutions, saying partial funding continues to leave families carrying a financial burden despite government promises of equal treatment. Addressing the university’s ninth graduation ceremony in Windhoek on Thursday, Iipinge said while Welwitschia appreciated government support through NSFAF, students enrolled at the institution continue to receive only partial sponsorships, forcing parents and guardians to cover the outstanding tuition fees and living expenses. “So far, all students sponsored by NSFAF are partially funded and the parents always top up to cover the total tuition fees and living expenses,” she said. “As much as we appreciate this support on behalf of the students, I wish to call upon NSFAF to cover tuition fees 100% as promised so that this will be done for all students at public and private institutions of higher learning in Namibia. A Namibian child deserves equal treatment by all sectors.” Her remarks come as the government continues to expand financial support for tertiary education while private institutions argue that students pursuing accredited qualifications should receive the same level of assistance as those studying at public universities. Iipinge also appealed to the private sector to invest in students before they enter the labour market rather than recruiting graduates after completing their studies. “I would like to call upon the captains of industry to come to the party by sponsoring some students and not only look for them after they graduate,” she said. The university graduated more than 1 000 students over two days, including graduates from the Faculties of Health Sciences, Law, Commerce and Education, with nursing students making up the largest cohort. Deputy minister of health and social services Suzan Ndjaleka used the occasion to challenge graduates to translate their academic knowledge into practical solutions that address Namibia’s development needs. She warned that qualifications alone were insufficient without competence and professional excellence. Ndjaleka revealed that 2 683 nursing graduates across Namibia have failed the national licensing examination, describing the figure as a reminder that academic training must ultimately produce professionals capable of meeting national standards. She encouraged Welwitschia’s nursing graduates to ensure they did not become part of those statistics. “Today Welwitchia proudly graduates nursing students and I charge each of you to ensure you do not become part of the failing statistics but instead demonstrate the excellence this institution trains for by passing the national exam,” she said. Welwitschia Vice Chancellor Marius Hedimbi defended the quality of the institution’s programmes, telling graduates that the university had recently appeared before Parliament’s Standing Committee on Education to confirm that its health programmes are fully accredited by the National Council for Higher Education, the Namibia Qualifications Authority and the Health Professions Council of Namibia. He said the university’s qualifications meet recognised national standards and are designed to prepare graduates for professional practice. The graduation ceremony also marked the university’s continued expansion since opening its doors in 2013 with just 78 students. This year’s graduating class included postgraduate qualifications in Higher Education, Business Administration, Occupational Health and Safety, and Community Health Nursing. Speaking under the theme “From Knowledge to Impact: Shaping the Future,” university leaders urged graduates to use their qualifications to strengthen public service, improve healthcare and contribute to Namibia’s economic and social development.

The call by Welwitschia University Chancellor Scholastika Iipinge for the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) to fully fund students at private higher education institutions deserves serious consideration. It also demands a more honest national conversation about what “equal treatment” in tertiary education actually means. At the heart of the issue is a principle that […]

The call by Welwitschia University Chancellor Scholastika Iipinge for the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) to fully fund students at private higher education institutions deserves serious consideration. It also demands a more honest national conversation about what “equal treatment” in tertiary education actually means. At the heart of the issue is a principle that should be difficult for any government committed to expanding access to education to ignore: a student’s access to financial assistance should not be determined primarily by whether the accredited institution they attend is publicly or privately owned. If a Namibian student is pursuing an accredited qualification in nursing, law, education, commerce or another field identified as important to national development, the question should be whether that student meets the requirements for assistance, not whether the institution happens to be a public university or a private one. Yet the matter is not as simple as demanding that NSFAF pay every private institution’s full tuition bill. Public funds must be protected, and the government has a responsibility to ensure that financial assistance is directed towards quality education, national priorities and students who genuinely need support. The answer, therefore, cannot be an uncritical blank cheque to private universities. But neither can the state continue to promote the language of equal opportunity while maintaining a funding model that leaves students at private institutions dependent on parents and guardians to cover substantial shortfalls. That is not equality. It is a form of unequal access dressed up as financial assistance. The reality is that many families cannot afford to “top up” tuition fees. Namibia remains a deeply unequal society, with high unemployment, stagnant household incomes and a cost-of-living crisis that has placed enormous pressure on families. For many households, the difference between partial and full funding is not a minor inconvenience. It can determine whether a student remains enrolled, drops out or graduates with crippling debt. The state must also recognise the reality of Namibia’s higher education landscape. Private institutions are no longer peripheral players. They educate thousands of Namibians and, in many cases, provide capacity that the public university system alone cannot accommodate. If the government wants more young people to obtain qualifications, particularly in critical fields such as healthcare, education and technical professions, it must make use of all credible and properly regulated institutions. This is particularly important in light of the alarming revelation that 2 683 nursing graduates across the country have failed the national licensing examination. That figure should immediately shift the national conversation from merely asking how many students graduate to asking what kind of education they receive and whether graduates are competent to serve the public. Funding must therefore follow quality, not ownership. A private institution should not receive public money simply because it is private. Equally, a student should not receive less support simply because he or she is enrolled at a private institution that has met the relevant accreditation and professional standards. The most sensible solution is to establish a transparent, standardised funding formula. NSFAF could determine a maximum funding amount for each accredited programme based on the actual cost of delivering that qualification. A nursing student, for example, could receive the same core tuition support whether enrolled at an eligible public or private institution, provided that the programme is accredited and meets the necessary professional standards. Where a private institution charges tuition above the approved funding ceiling, the institution—not automatically the student or the taxpayer—should be required to justify the difference. This would introduce accountability and prevent institutions from simply inflating fees because government is paying. A second solution is for NSFAF to adopt a voucher or student-centred funding model. The funding would be attached to the eligible student and could be used at any accredited institution that meets defined quality standards. This would create greater choice for students, encourage competition among institutions and ensure that public funding follows the learner. Such a system would also force institutions to compete on the basis of quality, affordability, graduate outcomes and professional examination performance. The alarming nursing examination statistics demonstrate why this is necessary. Accreditation should not be treated as the end of the quality conversation. Institutions must also be measured by whether their graduates can actually perform in the professions for which they were trained. The private sector, meanwhile, cannot continue to be treated merely as a potential source of employment after graduation. Chancellor Iipinge is correct that companies should invest in students before they enter the labour market. Businesses constantly complain about skills shortages, yet too often wait until young people have completed their education before attempting to recruit the best talent. Industry-sponsored scholarships, apprenticeships, internships and work-integrated learning programmes should become a more central part of Namibia’s skills development ecosystem. Companies should identify the skills they will need five or ten years from now and invest in developing those skills today. However, the responsibility ultimately remains with the state. The government cannot promise expanded access to tertiary education while leaving the financing system fragmented and inequitable. Nor can it indefinitely rely on parents and guardians to subsidise national skills development. The central question is not whether private universities should receive special treatment. It is whether Namibian students should receive fair treatment. A student is a Namibian student before he or she is a student of a public or private institution. If the qualification is legitimate, the institution is properly accredited and the student meets the relevant financial and academic requirements, assistance should be based on those factors. But full funding must come with full accountability. Institutions must meet measurable quality standards. NSFAF must operate transparently. Students must be supported according to clear and consistent criteria. And government must regularly evaluate whether its funding is producing competent graduates capable of contributing meaningfully to the economy and society. Namibia cannot afford to confuse access with success. Funding more students is important. Ensuring that they receive quality education and can pass the professional examinations required to serve the country is even more important. The debate sparked by Welwitschia University should therefore not become a narrow dispute between public and private institutions. It should be the beginning of a broader reform of tertiary education financing. The principle should be simple: fund the student, regulate the institution, measure the outcomes and protect the public purse. That would be a far more credible definition of equal treatment.

Eugenia Moche Young Namibians aspiring to study higher education in fields like medicine, pharmacy, and dentistry are raising alarm over what they describe as unclear and unfair policies by the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) and the Health Professions Council of Namibia (HPCNA). In an open letter posted on social media, youth activist and […]

Eugenia Moche Young Namibians aspiring to study higher education in fields like medicine, pharmacy, and dentistry are raising alarm over what they describe as unclear and unfair policies by the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) and the Health Professions Council of Namibia (HPCNA). In an open letter posted on social media, youth activist and […]

Eugenia Moche Young Namibians aspiring to study higher education in fields like medicine, pharmacy, and dentistry are raising alarm over what they describe as unclear and unfair policies by the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) and the Health Professions Council of Namibia (HPCNA). In an open letter posted on social media, youth activist and acting deputy president of the National African Student Association (NASA), Abel Miguel, addressed the Prime Minister, Education Minister, Health and Social Services Minister, and NSFAF. Students expressed frustration at being forced to abandon their chosen careers or face unexpected hurdles after admission to universities abroad. The letter highlights that many students were admitted to institutions in Zambia, India, and South Africa, only to later be informed that their programmes required HPCNA curriculum approval. “Policies affecting the future of young people must be clear, fair, and transparent,” the letter states, questioning when the requirement was introduced and why students were not informed earlier. Students argue that NSFAF’s removal of medical programmes from its priority list has left them stranded. They further expressed that the lack of upfront communication has created unnecessary stress and financial strain. “If funding is limited, please communicate honestly with students instead of creating additional barriers after admission,” the letter reads. The HPCNA has also come under scrutiny. Miguel questioned why curricula are being reviewed outside Namibia, suggesting that the council should have the capacity to evaluate programmes locally. “If programmes are being reviewed outside Namibia, people deserve to understand why and how these decisions are made,” the letter reads. He warned that such barriers undermine government promises to invest in the future of young people. “The way young people are treated today will influence how they judge leadership tomorrow. This is not a threat, but a reminder. Five years pass quickly, and soon we will stop talking and simply watch from a distance as actions speak louder than words,” Miguel stressed. At the time of publication, neither NSFAF nor HPCNA had issued a detailed response to the concerns raised. NSFAF has previously defended its priority list as a way to allocate limited resources to fields deemed most critical for Namibia’s development. HPCNA argued that curriculum approval is necessary to ensure quality standards in medical training. However, students say these explanations fall short of addressing the lack of transparency and communication.  They stressed that the issue is not only about funding or recognition, but about trust in institutions that are supposed to safeguard their futures. The letter concluded with a call for fairness, transparency, and genuine investment in young Namibians.