Parents question bank deductions after Nust debt deal
Students seeking to clear outstanding arrears and secure re-registration at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) instead found themselves linked to repayment arrangements with a private debt collector, prompting complaints from families who say monthly deductions continued even after debts had been settled.
At the centre of the dispute is Quartile Debt Collection CC, a company NUST confirmed it has contracted to recover outstanding student debt. In correspondence seen by Network Media Hub (NMH) on Monday, the university said the arrangement allows Quartile to facilitate collections on its behalf, while the debts remain recorded on NUST’s books.
“In response to your mail, NUST has an agreement with Quartile to facilitate in collecting outstanding debts for our current students,” the institution stated. “The debts are not handed over to Quartile but remain on the NUST books.”
NUST further explained that students make payments through the third party, but the funds are transferred to the university and reflected on student accounts. It added that students are not charged separately for the process.
According to the university, students complete forms and supporting documents required by Quartile, and sign agreements authorising deductions from nominated accounts.
“Students are also handed an agreement to which they confirm for funds to be deducted from the accounts that they provide,” the correspondence reads.
However, complaints seen by NMH paint a different picture. One account from concerned parents of a third-year student states that the arrangement was not clearly understood at the time of registration or debt reprieve discussions.
The family said their child, who has a partial loan from the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF), had outstanding university costs such as hostel and meal fees. They explained that financial difficulties often made it hard to settle payments before each academic term.
They further referred to a NUST announcement in February 2026 offering a debt reprieve for continuing students, which they welcomed. However, they claim there was no clear communication indicating that a private debt collection company would be involved in the process.
According to the complaint, the student later signed documents at the finance office under the impression they were part of the reprieve arrangement. The family alleges they were not aware that Quartile was involved at that stage.
They further claim that although arrears were later settled, deductions continued from their bank account and that some payments were not immediately reflected on the student’s account.
“We take serious exception to the fact that we had no prior knowledge of the relationship between NUST and Quartile,” the complaint reads. “We had no knowledge of the agreement between our child and Quartile, nor have we given authority for monthly deductions.”
The family also questioned why there was no prior public communication about Quartile’s role in the university’s debt recovery process, saying attempts to resolve the matter directly with the company were unsuccessful.
Quartile managing member Kleopas Malima, however, defended the company’s processes in a telephone interview with NMH yesterday, saying all deductions are carried out under signed mandates provided by students or their guarantors.
“So all of it is fully mandated from the institution side as well as from the individuals,” he said. “That’s why all banking details are provided by the individuals themselves.”
He added that Quartile operates within standard debt recovery procedures and insisted that all transactions were authorised.
Malima further said that in cases of over-deductions, refunds were processed or adjustments made to future instalments.
“If there were matters that were administrative oversights, those matters would have been raised and resolved,” he said, adding that impacted accounts had been identified and addressed.
He also argued that some grievances arise from misunderstandings around repayment commitments, particularly where students agree to install plans during registration in order to secure enrolment.
Malima maintained that the company had not received unresolved disputes linked to the matter.
He said any flagged cases were handled individually and concluded through either refunds or payment restructuring, adding that records indicated no outstanding or pending grievances between the company and affected clients to its knowledge.
Malima further stressed that Quartile’s role is strictly administrative, acting on instructions provided through signed agreements, and that deductions are executed only where consent has been recorded. He added that the company remains open to verification of any disputed transactions should documentation be provided.
Meanwhile, NUST spokesperson Cindy van Wyk confirmed receipt of NMH’s queries and said the institution would respond within three business days.
In 2025, NUST issued a notice for the selection of procurement award for debt collection services, awarding Quartile Debt Collection CC a three-year contract at a commission rate of 10% plus VAT after what it described as a competitive bidding process.
