About 40,000 applications for the Namibia Students' Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) have been approved out of 56,000.

This was announced by the Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture, Sanet Steenkamp, in response to IPC MP, Bertha Nghifikwa, regarding students who have not received their non-tuition fees.

Many, according to Ngifikwa, face eviction.

“What is the Ministry going to do to assist the affected students that are currently facing eviction? How are you going to protect them to ensure that they are protected from being evicted while they are waiting for the non-tuition fee to be paid? God knows when they are going to be received.”

Dr Steenkamp said more than 9,000 students were required to resubmit their applications with credible supporting documents for approval, therefore causing the delay.

She also gave clarity on the figures for tuition fees that have been paid thus far.

“We have paid N$1.3 billion for all continuing students. The tuition fees are N$855 million just this year. And for non-tuition, your specific reference, honorable, for non-tuition, we've already paid N$445.2 million. So that is in total N$ 37,186 in students for continuing that we paid. Now, let's look at the new intakes. Those for the very first time they got NSFAF payments.”