Many students face financial exclusion due to historical debt, while others struggle to secure accommodation. Universities have made some concessions regarding the debt threshold for 2025 registration, however, many students still fall outside it.
With no other options, students have chosen to protest, including participating in a hunger strike, as they call for the Department of Higher Education and Training to intervene.
Higher Education Minister, Nobuhle Nkabane says stakeholders have embarked on a fact-finding mission to get to the core of the challenges facing students. Subsequent engagements involve several stakeholders working together to address them.
However, a major factor contributing to these challenges is funding.
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), which funds close to a million students, has been criticised for its accommodation allowance cap. The cap means students attending institutions in urban areas are often priced out of suitable student housing. NSFAS has also been criticised for delayed allowance payments.
NSFAS Administrator, Freeman Nomvalo acknowledged some delays in housing students, caused by the government bursary scheme’s accommodation accreditation system. They also conceded there is a shortage of beds.
Problems relating to onboarding and so on, those types of problems we are working on ensuring are resolved as quickly as possible so that students can focus their attention on the learning.
Nomvalo says NSFAS’ administration systems had to be established to ensure students receive final funding decisions, enabling NSFAS to allocate funds.
They expressed confidence that when institutions submit registration data, student funding will be released for deserving students.
We're putting processes in place to make sure that for the 2025 financial year, save for the Legacy issues that we brought from last year, this year should move smoothly in terms of those importing processes.
Last week, a new NSFAS board was appointed following the dismissal of the previous board by former Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande. Nzimande’s decision was based on several factors, including the failure of NSFAS to pay allowances and other administrative issues.
Minister Nkabane expressed confidence that the new NSFAS board will assist in addressing the challenges facing students this year.
Nomvalo says the board’s appointment creates a clear line of authority. However, they stressed that the NSFAS board must be given time to address student challenges.
Let's give the board time to settle in, deal with the issues the way they feel comfortable to deal with them, we can't judge them in advance.
Minister Confirms NSFAS Allowance Increases For 2025
The Minister recently announced that NSFAS will be increasing NSFAS allowance payments for the 2025 academic year. NSFAS allowances are very important for student livelihoods.
Minister Nkabane announced:
We have considered the cost of living which is very high as well as some of the socio-economic challenges that our people are facing every day so we have decided, working closely with USAf and NSFAS as well as student formations to adjust student allowances for this financial year to 4%.
She also announced that TVET College students will receive an increase in NSFAS allowances from R10 000 per annum to R14 600 per annum, which represents a 46% increase.
"We are responding and we are deliberating our approach to respond to their needs," the Minister explained.
