Namibia will move its student fund back to the education ministry later this year. President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah shared this plan during her first state of the nation address on Thursday. The government hopes the change will save money and better serve students. The move aims to make operations run more smoothly for the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund.
The Cabinet first ordered this change in 2021. Officials want NSFAF directly under ministry control once again. The fund started in 1997 to help Namibian students pay for their college education. However, recent years have brought problems, mainly with collecting money from past students who received loans.
NSFAF gave out N$17 billion to students between 2013 and 2024. Many former students never paid back their loans, which created worries about whether the fund could continue long-term. The reintegration should happen around October 2025.
The president believes bringing NSFAF back under direct ministry oversight will cut costs and improve how services reach student beneficiaries. The government wants better efficiency throughout the student funding system.
The Cabinet first ordered this change in 2021. Officials want NSFAF directly under ministry control once again. The fund started in 1997 to help Namibian students pay for their college education. However, recent years have brought problems, mainly with collecting money from past students who received loans.
NSFAF gave out N$17 billion to students between 2013 and 2024. Many former students never paid back their loans, which created worries about whether the fund could continue long-term. The reintegration should happen around October 2025.
The president believes bringing NSFAF back under direct ministry oversight will cut costs and improve how services reach student beneficiaries. The government wants better efficiency throughout the student funding system.
