Renthia Kaimbi
The Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) says the recovery of existing student loans will continue.
NSFAF said this would continue as a key measure to safeguard the sustainability of the scheme, even as the government rolls out fully subsidised tertiary education.
NSFAF acting chief executive officer Kennedy Kandume on Monday said loan repayment remains a core mandate of the fund and will continue until further notice to ensure that future generations can also benefit from financial support.
“The responsibility for the recovery of any student loan due to the fund will continue until further notice, safeguarding the sustainability of the scheme for future generations,” Kandume said.
He was speaking at the launch of NSFAF’s 2026 online application system for the 100% Subsidised Tertiary Education Funding Model (STEFM), which was officiated by minister of education, innovation, youth, sport, arts and culture Sanet Steenkamp.
Kandume said NSFAF disbursed N$3.1 billion to 30 138 students during the 2025 academic year, highlighting the growing demand for funding under the new model.
“The introduction of the 100% subsidised tertiary education funding model has dismantled the primary financial barrier to higher learning,” he said. “We anticipate a record number of applications for 2026.”
He said NSFAF is now managing a balance between administering a surge in fully subsidised applications and ensuring that funds continue to circulate through the repayment of existing loans.
Under the STEFM, registration and tuition fees are fully covered for all eligible students.
Students from households earning a combined annual income of N$300 000 or less also qualify for non-tuition support to assist with living expenses.
To activate the programme for the 2026 academic year, NSFAF has already released first-quarter allocations to public institutions.
The University of Namibia (Unam) received N$221 million, the Namibia University of Science and Technology (Nust) N$166 million, the Namibian College of Open Learning (Namcol) N$16 million, and the Namibia Training Authority (NTA) N$25 million for public TVET colleges.
For private tertiary institutions, 20% of a total N$234 million allocation is expected to be released in early February, subject to final verification.
In her keynote address, Steenkamp said the government remains committed to sustained investment in higher education.
She stated that the government covers registration and tuition fees to guarantee that financial constraints do not prevent any student from studying.
She said the government recognises that students have different needs, which will be addressed through ongoing reform, partnerships and innovation.
“True equity in tertiary education means that every student, regardless of background or institution, is given a fair and credible opportunity to succeed,” Steenkamp said.
“It is for this reason that government remains committed to the phased implementation of national minimum standards across all tertiary institutions, strengthening quality, coherence, and public confidence in our system.”
The newly launched online application portal will provide expanded access under STEFM.
NSFAF said the system is designed to improve efficiency and transparency and will handle increased applications following the removal of the parental income threshold for tuition fees.
