Welcome to the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF). We can look back on another busy year that saw our organization continue to improve itself, its processes and service delivery. The 2017/18 financial year marks five years since the NSFAF delinked from the Ministry of Education and became a Public Enterprise.
Since then, the Fund grew, both in terms of budget allocation as well as number of students funded. During 2017/2018, NSFAF provided financial assistance to 15 317 students, of which 10 888 are undergraduates, 1 181 postgraduates and 3 248 at vocational training level. Overall, the number of students.
Apart from an increase in the number of students funded, the Fund also accomplished some operational achievements during the year under review. These are:
Full implementation of online application – online application, which was first piloted in two regions in 2016, was successfully implemented during the period under review. In the true spirit of “accessibility” by everyone, the Fund deployed mobile assistance teams in all 119 constituencies in 14 regions of the country in order to ensure that all potential applicants are afforded an opportunity to apply.
Introduction of eligibility checker – the online application was accompanied by the introduction of an eligibility checker, which enables students to verify whether they meet funding requirements before proceeding with their application. This has not only ensured that the Fund deals with serious applicants, but also saved time and resources usually allocated for validation and assessment of the application process.
Administration of student contracts – the year under review has also seen an improvement in administration of contracts through online uploading and downloading of contracts. The system enables students to receive contracts online, sign and upload them back onto the system. That has been of great benefit to both students and the Fund as this reduced the time and resources in administration of contracts.
Improved query management – during the year under review, we have leveraged on social media, mainly Facebook, to reduce the student queries. This enabled students to check their application status as well as payments through Facebook. In addition, the Fund introduced a student portal, which allows students to interact with NSFAF without having to visit our offices.
I would like to extend my appreciation to all employees of NSFAF who resiliently show commitment and dedication, through difficult times. I would also like to thank the Board, both old and new, for its continuous support and ensuring that NSFAF is steered in the right direction during this difficult period. Sincere appreciation also goes to the Ministry of Higher Education, Training and Innovation for its continuous support.
