Namibia will scrap tuition and registration fees at public universities and technical colleges from 2026. President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah announced on Thursday during her first State of the Nation Address. She was sworn in last month as the country’s first female president.
Tertiary education will become 100 per cent subsidised by the government, she told Parliament.
The policy will cover two state-run universities and all seven public vocational training centres. Students will, however, still pay for accommodation and other related costs. Namibia already provides free primary and secondary education in public schools. The new measure extends that support to higher education.
President Nandi-Ndaitwah said the change aimed to tackle youth unemployment and improve access to education. Recent data revealed that Namibia’s population has hit 3,022,401, as announced by the Namibian Statistician General, Alex Shimuafeni, during the launch of the census preliminary report. More than two million Namibians are under the age of 35. The free university education offer targets this group.
Some student groups welcomed the move. Others raised concerns about how it will work in practice. The Affirmative Repositioning Student Command (ARSC) described the plan as unclear. The group questioned whether it would apply to all students and how it would be funded.
However, the president said the government would use existing funds, including current university subsidies and the student financial assistance scheme. No significant increase in spending is planned. According to her, the government had listened to calls for change.
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