The Department of Higher Education has the Extended Curriculum Programme (ECP) as a mechanism that aims to improve graduation.
Students that join this programme are those that don’t meet the required marks but do show skills needed for the chosen programme.
Institutions of higher learning have systems that will enable the student to be ready for the new environment and make sure that you achieve the qualification that you had initially applied for.
Fortunately, this programme is funded by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
In this programme, the first year is spread over a two year period and ECP students attend lectures as the other students for their registered subjects, but ECP students have a lighter academic load and receive additional academic support from the institution of higher learning.
After completing the first year, students proceed with the normal programme.
According to CPUT, upon graduation, ECP students graduate at the same time as the majority of their ‘mainstream’ counterparts who started off with a full academic load.
For the full statement on ECP's, click here.
In the end, every single student gets the same qualification, irrespective of being in the ECP or ‘mainstream’ programme.
