Africa-Press – Namibia. SWAPO parliamentarian, Modestus Amutse, called for the appropriate and timely funding of underprivileged students by the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF), emphasising that the untimely funding of some students usually leads to the abandonment of studies, which further perpetuates the cycle of poverty.
Amutse explained that while institutions of higher learning normally start their academic year in January or February, the parliament only approves the budget for funding institutions such as NSFAF between May and July. This, he said, means that NSFAF is unable to award new students or to pay for continuing students on time as the institution has to wait for the approval of the budget to be granted.
This misalignment, Amutse pointed out, usually results in some students abandoning their studies altogether, which further perpetuates the cycle of poverty.
He acknowledged that some institutions allow continuing students who are funded by NSFAF to register with no or minimal registration fees. However, he explained, some institutions do not allow students to register if they do not have enough money, especially if the students’ NSFAF funding has not been approved yet.
“Apart from the registration and tuition fees, students from underprivileged backgrounds would require non-tuition and accommodation fees for them to be able to go and live in towns where their institutions are located,” he added.
Considering this, Amutse pleaded for support before parliament, urging the Ministry of Finance to take the lead in establishing an initiative that can ensure the appropriate and timely funding of underprivileged students by NSFAF.
“I am recommending that the Ministry of Finance establish a special revolving fund to fund and pay for the new and continuing students from poverty-stricken backgrounds. The fund must have enough funds to pay for these students from January each year up to a month after the national budget is approved,” he suggested.
Amutse further recommended that – considering the reality of limited resources – NSFAF should find a selection criterion that will identify the most underprivileged of the most financially challenged students. For this to work, he suggested that consideration should not only be given to the parents’ monthly income, but also to the total household support system.
“I plead for your support, as our decision in this matter will surely affirm our political will, individually and as a collection, to close the gap between the rich and the poor, by ensuring that we as legislators guarantee children from poor families’ access to tertiary education,” he said.
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