Education minister Sanet Steenkamp has warned higher education institutions against raising tuition fees in response to the government’s free tertiary education programme.
In an interview with The Brief on Sunday, she said the government will only sponsor fees already approved for 2026 and will not tolerate increases above the norm.
“We will not accept institutions inflating fees simply because of the subsidy,” Steenkamp said.
The minister of education, innovation, youth, sport, arts and culture also said there is growing concern among Namibia’s labour market about an oversupply of graduates in specific fields, particularly nursing and primary education.
Steenkamp said the government cannot ignore the reality that these sectors already produce more graduates than the market can absorb.
“You cannot deny that there has been an oversupply in specific fields such as nursing and primary education,” she said.
The recently announced subsidised tertiary education programme, Steenkamp said, is based on an evidence-driven approach that aligns study funding with national skills needs.
A new skills supply and demand model will be developed for 2026, when the current priority list expires, to ensure future funding decisions are guided by labour market demand and the national human resource development plan.
The subsidy covers tuition and registration fees for eligible first-time undergraduate students at both public and private institutions.
PARENTS STILL CARRY THE BURDEN
Families, however, are expected to cover other costs, including accommodation, transport, and learning materials.
Steenkamp said the government plans to establish standard cost benchmarks for degrees, diplomas, and certificates to strengthen oversight.
The programme will be implemented in phases, with up to 134 000 students potentially benefiting in the first year, provided institutions meet minimum quality standards.
She said the ministry will closely monitor the financial sustainability of the subsidy, its impact on students, and employment outcomes.
The measure aims not only to make tertiary education more accessible, but also to better align Namibia’s graduate output with labour market realities.
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