UNAM to refund registration fees following government directive

Unam main campus, Windhoek (File photo)

The University of Namibia (UNAM) has announced it will refund registration fees paid by eligible students, following a directive from Minister of Education, Arts and Culture Sanet Steenkamp.

The minister has instructed all public universities to refund students who paid registration fees, reiterating that under government-subsidised tertiary education, no public institution is permitted to charge registration or tuition fees.

The university confirmed the refunds in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Simon Namesho, following the ministry’s announcement of revised eligibility criteria. The clarification follows reports that some first-year students paid registration fees themselves before the directive was communicated.

The UNAM, the country’s largest public university, operates as a state-funded institution mandated to provide affordable and accessible higher education. It is primarily financed through government subsidies and student support schemes.

The ministry says the directive is aimed at ensuring uniform implementation of government policy across all public higher education institutions.