NSFAF assisting with manpower for student care centre
A virtual meeting was held on 29 June between Nanso, NSFAF and theministry of higher education, training and innovation to discuss pressing studentmatters.
Desiree Gases
The Namibia National Students Organisation (NANSO) was represented by president Simon Taapopi, secretary of education Malcolm Kambanzera and acting secretary of information, communication and technology, Esther Shakela. The meeting was chaired by minister Itah Kandjii-Murangi
and was attended by the ministry’s executive director, Dr Alfred van Kent, as well Kennedy Kandume and Chief human capital and corporate affairs Olavi Hamwele from
the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF).
NANSO presented the following issues for deliberation: Inaccessibility to the NSFAF portal – students have been complaining about being unable to access NSFAF portal to upload documents for the completion of their applications; indeterminate reasons for rejection of applications – NSFAF has been rejecting students without valid reason; delay in payments of tuition and non-tuition fees - there are students who are yet to receive non-tuition fees from the year 2020 and even as far back as 2019.
Likewise, some graduates cannot get their qualifications because of money owed to the institution that is supposed to be settled by NSFAF; funding of diploma graduates - NSFAF policy refuses to fund students who have completed their diploma programme and are now looking to enrol for degree courses due to the points they initially obtained in grade 12. The hold up in the release of award letters for 2021 academic year and the inoperative student care centre at NSFAF.
NANSO unwaveringly argued for the resolutions of these predicaments inclusive of policy interventions, particularly to address the funding crisis that diploma graduates are faced
with. The organisation has further committed itself to assisting NSFAF with manpower for the student care centre as a way to ease the burden on staff and, ultimately, ensure student queries are dealt with.
These are a few outcomes from the meeting. The award list will be released within the course of this week, subject to internal consultations with ministries of finance and higher education. Any changes to this will be communicated with the students accordingly. For the applicants who have been rejected without reason, NANSO will submit a list for re-evaluation by NSFAF. The outcomes of this process will be shared with students at a later stage. NANSO will put out a call to identify students who have not received non-tuition fees for 2019 and 2020, and NSFAF will look into the reasons for delay in payment and ensure it is settled. Further, NANSO will make a submission to the ministry of higher education and NSFAF board for the reconsideration of the policy in terms of awarding diploma students who are moving into degree programmes. Every Wednesday, NANSO will submit enquiries collected at its own student enquiry centre to NSFAF. Feedback for these enquiries will be given to NANSO every Monday. By the end of July, NSFAF will have a functional student care centre. Finally, students who struggle to upload documents online must take their documents to NSFAF physically.
The meeting ended on a good note with NSFAF giving their assurances of handling
student issues effectively and timeously.
The Namibia National Students Organisation (NANSO) was represented by president Simon Taapopi, secretary of education Malcolm Kambanzera and acting secretary of information, communication and technology, Esther Shakela. The meeting was chaired by minister Itah Kandjii-Murangi
and was attended by the ministry’s executive director, Dr Alfred van Kent, as well Kennedy Kandume and Chief human capital and corporate affairs Olavi Hamwele from
the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF).
NANSO presented the following issues for deliberation: Inaccessibility to the NSFAF portal – students have been complaining about being unable to access NSFAF portal to upload documents for the completion of their applications; indeterminate reasons for rejection of applications – NSFAF has been rejecting students without valid reason; delay in payments of tuition and non-tuition fees - there are students who are yet to receive non-tuition fees from the year 2020 and even as far back as 2019.
Likewise, some graduates cannot get their qualifications because of money owed to the institution that is supposed to be settled by NSFAF; funding of diploma graduates - NSFAF policy refuses to fund students who have completed their diploma programme and are now looking to enrol for degree courses due to the points they initially obtained in grade 12. The hold up in the release of award letters for 2021 academic year and the inoperative student care centre at NSFAF.
NANSO unwaveringly argued for the resolutions of these predicaments inclusive of policy interventions, particularly to address the funding crisis that diploma graduates are faced
with. The organisation has further committed itself to assisting NSFAF with manpower for the student care centre as a way to ease the burden on staff and, ultimately, ensure student queries are dealt with.
These are a few outcomes from the meeting. The award list will be released within the course of this week, subject to internal consultations with ministries of finance and higher education. Any changes to this will be communicated with the students accordingly. For the applicants who have been rejected without reason, NANSO will submit a list for re-evaluation by NSFAF. The outcomes of this process will be shared with students at a later stage. NANSO will put out a call to identify students who have not received non-tuition fees for 2019 and 2020, and NSFAF will look into the reasons for delay in payment and ensure it is settled. Further, NANSO will make a submission to the ministry of higher education and NSFAF board for the reconsideration of the policy in terms of awarding diploma students who are moving into degree programmes. Every Wednesday, NANSO will submit enquiries collected at its own student enquiry centre to NSFAF. Feedback for these enquiries will be given to NANSO every Monday. By the end of July, NSFAF will have a functional student care centre. Finally, students who struggle to upload documents online must take their documents to NSFAF physically.
The meeting ended on a good note with NSFAF giving their assurances of handling
student issues effectively and timeously.
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