THE higher education ministry yesterday appealed to students to be patient while they discussed ways to accommodate the 12 000 students who could not secure funding from the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF).
In a statement issued yesterday, the ministry’s spokesperson, Selma Ngola, said the ministry held several meetings with the relevant stakeholders since April to find ways of addressing the critical issue of student funding.
The student fund this year announced that it needed a government bailout of N$641 million as it could only fund 2 925 first-year students out of the 15 087 who qualified for loans this academic year.
Ngola added that the ministry has also engaged students representative bodies regarding the matter, and a high-level technical committee has been constituted to find the best solution to challenges faced by NSFAF.
“The ministry is also aware of the fact that NSFAF-funded students have to sit for examinations, as well as register for the next semester. As a ministry, in collaboration with NSFAF and students representative bodies, we are currently engaging the universities on the matter, and the outcome will be communicated accordingly,” the statement read. She furthermore encouraged students to remain calm, and urged them to bear with the government as the ministry is “tirelessly working to find amicable solutions in the matter.”
The spokesperson in the Office of the Prime Minister, Saima Shaanika, told The Namibian yesterday that engagement with all stakeholders on the matter is continuing.
“There are regular interactions among stakeholders on this matter,” she added.
However, she noted that the Ministry of Finance would know best about issues regarding money, and when it would be released.
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