Government to Scrap Registration Fees for First-Time Undergraduate and Vocational Students in 2026
By TUW
The Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture, Sanet Steenkamp, has unveiled a new funding approach for higher and vocational education that will take effect in 2026. Under the updated system, students entering their first undergraduate or honours programme, along with trainees studying from NQA Level 1 to 6 at vocational and technical institutions, will no longer be required to pay registration fees.
The reform covers learners at both public and private institutions, and forms part of government’s plan to make education more accessible. Steenkamp also confirmed that government will provide tuition subsidies for these programmes to further reduce financial pressure on students.
Postgraduate students are not included for now. Steenkamp explained that government is still reviewing which advanced fields of study should be prioritised for possible future support.
She added that the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) will continue offering non-tuition loans to students who do not fall under the new subsidy model or who require extra financial assistance.
According to the ministry, these changes aim to open doors for more Namibians to pursue higher education and vocational skills training, supporting both personal development and national growth.
