Student representatives have raised concerns over the government's updated subsidised funding model, saying while access to funding has expanded, accommodation remains a major obstacle for many young people seeking higher education, especially in the capital city.

Student leaders say while government funding has improved access to higher education for students from low-income backgrounds, accommodation remains a major challenge, particularly in Windhoek, where many qualifying students struggle to secure housing.

Brian Prince, the Head of Corporate Communication and Marketing at the National Youth Council (NYC), said the accommodation support, capped at 
N$17.000, offered as a government loan, is intended to meet students halfway, even though it does not fully cover rising rental costs in the current economic climate.

"The issue of accommodation can be a challenge. But as a government, they are assisting you; they are assisting you to pay off the cost of your accommodation. So we shouldn't look at whether it's enough or not enough, because there's nothing that's ever enough. But the issue we should look at is that the government is making a push to say, Let's meet each other halfway." 

NANSO President Dorothea Nangolo said the lived experiences of students must be better considered. 

"I think including us in the process is what is important because we understand how it feels to get onto a bus to arrive in Windhoek right now and to not have a place. As I speak to you, we have hundreds of students that are arriving from various towns. We have students arriving at service stations in Windhoek right now that are taking taxis to go to UNAM with their suitcases, expecting fully subsidised tertiary education to welcome them, and then they are shocked that UNAM is asking for registration fees."

Students have also raised concerns about upfront payments required by institutions, including hostel registration fees and deposits amounting to a percentage of tuition fees, which are not covered under the subsidised model.
University Affairs Namibia student representatives have identified accommodation as one of the key areas they believe needs urgent attention.

Public relations officer for University Affairs Namibia, Renny Shilumbu, says, "Increase bursaries and scholarships for student accommodation, as access to free education is undermined and students cannot afford suitable housing."