Allexer Namundjembo
Student representative bodies have raised concern over the continued practice by institutions of higher learning of withholding students’ academic records, transcripts and qualifications due to outstanding fees.
They argue that the policy blocks graduates from entering the job market and repaying their debts.
Speaking to the Windhoek Observer on Sunday, Student Union of Namibia (SUN) secretary for information and publicity Johannes Malapi said the practice traps thousands of graduates in a cycle of poverty and exclusion.
He said while institutions face financial pressure and must recover outstanding fees, graduates are left with no way to repay their debts if they cannot access their academic documents.
“We must confront the impossible position in which graduates find themselves. They cannot access employment without their qualifications, yet they cannot pay their debts without a job. This deadlock serves no one,” Malapi said.
He said the approach does not help institutions recover money and does not allow graduates to move forward.
“It merely punishes students long after they have fulfilled their academic requirements, often for circumstances beyond their control,” he said.
Malapi welcomed the debt relief programme introduced by the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF).
“However, we must be honest about its limitations. The programme operates within strict eligibility categories, excluding many graduates based on year of graduation or other criteria. Assistance is subject to available funding and beneficiaries are selected on a first-come, first-served basis. Consequently, a significant number of deserving graduates remain without relief and continue to be locked out of their qualifications. While the programme is a positive step, it cannot and must not be the only solution,” he said.
The National African Students’ national secretary (NASA) for academics, sports, arts and culture, Abel Miguel, said the practice has affected thousands of graduates who completed their studies but cannot access their academic documents.
“While NASA acknowledges the financial sustainability challenges faced by higher learning institutions such as the University of Namibia and the Namibia University of Science and Technology, we firmly believe that withholding academic results and qualifications undermines the very purpose of education, which is empowerment and national development,” Miguel said in written responses to the Windhoek Observer.
Miguel called for an immediate review of policies that allow institutions to withhold academic documents.
He also called for repayment arrangements that do not block access to transcripts and qualifications and for engagement between government, institutions and student leaders to find solutions.
Miguel said both NSFAF-funded and self-funded students should be allowed to access their results regardless of outstanding fees.
Namibia National Students Organisation (Nanso) spokesperson Jessy Abraham said Nanso has long opposed the withholding of qualifications. She said youth unemployment remains high, and expecting graduates to settle debts immediately after completing their studies is unrealistic.
“For us as Nanso, we passed a resolution in 2015 advocating for students to be debt-free. Student debt is an economic issue. Expecting students to pay their debts immediately after leaving institutions will not materialise,” she said.
She also pointed to delays in updating academic records.
“Students wait for March and April for their academic status to reflect that they are graduating. This already delays their readiness for the job market by up to four months,” Abraham said.
She called on universities to address administrative delays so that graduates can access their documents in time to compete for jobs.
Institutions have withheld qualifications and transcripts until students settle outstanding fees. Academic records and transcripts are often required by employers, especially for graduates who have not yet received their final certificates.
University of Namibia spokesperson Simon Namesho said there is a debt settlement arrangement between the university and NSFAF that applies to both funded and self-funded students.
He said affected students must approach NSFAF to enter into a formal debt settlement agreement. Once approved, NSFAF issues a settlement confirmation letter.
Students can submit the letter to UNAM to access their academic records and qualifications.
Namibia University of Science and Technology spokesperson Cindy Van Wyk said, “The university will not be issuing a response on this matter at this stage.”
