Funding not enough to offer study grants through NSFAF: Mbuma

WINDHOEK: President Nangolo Mbumba on Wednesday said it would be impossible for the government to award study grants to every student through the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF), as funding will not be sufficient. Mbumba made the remarks in response to such a suggestion during a courtesy visit by the United Democratic Front (UDF) leadership, led by its president, Hendrik Goabeb. The party's spokesperson, Mabasen Narib while engaging Mbumba said young professionals currently face the burden of paying back the study loans, on top of prevalent financial hardships. 'We don't want young Namibians to graduate into debt and times are already hard. They have to pay back these loans for long periods. We should look at ways to turn NSFAF loans into grants,' Narib added. Mbumba said employed beneficiaries should pay back their study loans to enable newer generations to equally benefit from the study scheme. He also added that socialism would be a difficult ideology to achieve, as many factors are involved. 'I have to be honest with you. First, we must understand where these resources we are using come from. It is coming from all of us. Even if we were to give grants, the money would still not be enough to cater for every one student and that in itself will be another problem,' he said. NSFAF provides financial assistance by way of loans to eligible Namibian students at recognised institutions of higher learning. Source: The Namibia News Agency