The Department of Higher Education and Training and National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) have acknowledged students’ struggles to access funding, attributing the problem to application discrepancies, late registration confirmations and budget constraints.
This follows last week’s march by students at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), demanding immediate intervention from the department and NSFAS regarding delayed funding.
The students claimed that due to the delayed funding, they were forced to attend classes on empty stomachs, while some faced eviction from their residences for not being able to make payments.
In a joint statement, the department and NSFAS said some students from universities who applied during the TVET application cycle have experienced difficulties with their registration status due to errors encountered during the application process.
“Certain students, whose registration statuses were only confirmed after the official registration deadline, are currently facing delays in accessing funding support,” they said.
They explained that students whose appeals have been approved are experiencing funding shortfalls due to limited remaining budgets, impacting their ability to cover registration and related costs.
“Both the department and NSFAS are actively collaborating to address these challenges. Efforts include reviewing applications from students who applied during the TVET application cycle, providing funding for students whose registration was submitted late, and exploring options to allocate additional resources to support students with approved appeals,” they said.
They further said institutions are also being encouraged to assist students in resolving outstanding issues promptly.
“We remain committed to ensuring that all eligible students have access to the funding necessary to continue their studies without undue disruption. We appreciate the patience and understanding of students and stakeholders as we work diligently to resolve these issues swiftly,” they said.
The students accused NSFAS of delaying funding to pay for residences with some facing eviction from their landlords. They also claimed they are forced to attend classes on an empty stomach as they are unable to afford groceries due to delayed funding.
The students submitted a memorandum of grievances to the department detailing how delayed NSFAS payments are affecting their daily lives.
Talifhani Tshithavhana, Student Representative Council (SRC) treasurer from Soshanguve campus, said the injustices faced by TUT students are a widespread issue affecting students across all institutions.
“We have students sitting in their rooms right now without anything. Most of them are chased out of student residences because NSFAS delayed the disbursement of funds to pay for them so that they can stay there,” he said.
He called for students to boycott classes and exams until the NSFAS issue is resolved.
“How are you going to focus and how are you going to write examinations when you have nothing in your stomach? It is nonsense to have students attending classes when they haven’t eaten anything,” he said.
Kagiso Mabisane, SRC secretary of TUT Arts, Arcadia, and Pretoria, said NSFAS should treat students equally, regardless of whether they are from a TVET or university.
“They have decided not to fund first-years who applied, and we’re talking about nearly 4,000 students at TUT alone.”
Nosipho Ntombela, district deputy chairperson of the Young Communist League in Tshwane, said: “Students are facing challenges because NSFAS is not fulfilling its agreements, making their lives difficult. They are struggling to buy groceries due to delayed payments and insufficient funding.”
rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za
