The start of the academic year is typically interrupted by student protests resulting from grievances regarding fee blocks and unpaid allowances, just to mention a few. The 2023 academic year had slight but significant changes.
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas) has approved the provisional funding of more than one million students who will be pursuing their studies in public universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training Colleges in 2023.
In expressing itself, the government bursary scheme has shared that this is a huge milestone in the government’s commitment to fund students from the working class and the poor.
This year’s budget is estimated to be around R47.6 billion. However, the Scheme has also confirmed Nsfas-funded students continue to register without making upfront payments, as committed.
In a statement, the Department of Higher Education and Training, Science and Innovation Minister, Dr. Blade Nzimande has confirmed:
The department will soon engage with university registrars to discuss matters relating to concerns raised by students and parents on the delays in the provision of information in order to facilitate registration by Nsfas.
Nzimande also added, they will also be attending to all student-related matters to make sure that Nsfas bursary recipients are not disadvantaged nor excluded in any way.
It is for this reason that a direct payment platform and the Nsfas student accommodation platform has been enabled to address student housing challenges, as it had been in previous years.
Another challenge that has surfaced regarding student housing, has to do with the Nsfas student accommodation of R45 000.
The University of Pretoria is also disappointed by Nsfas’ rejection of the exemption application letter that was sent by the university, requesting the Scheme to urgently reconsider the cap on accommodation allowance.
The university’s Student Representative President Njabulo Sibeko is also against the cap on student accommodation, also revealed that students used to get R60 000 last year and the 2023 academic year they are expected to pay up to R63 000.
In response to this, the Nsfas has released a statement that they will take the high costs of student accommodation to the Competition Commission.
