MBOMBELA – Tertiary students of Mpumalanga and other provinces have vented their anger after finding out that the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) will allegedly not pay their study fees due to apparent financial problems.
According to students, NSFAS has paid half amounts to a few of them only, obliging that they must pay the other 50 per cent, while some were not funded at all.
The representatives of the NSFAS feel that students are not cooperating, alleging that it has to accommodate many of them while some fail to finish their courses, and end up unable to pay back their loans.
Institutions like Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), Unisa and other centres, also experience the same problem. Students of TUT in Mbombela has gone on strike regarding this matter.
The Department of Higher Education and Training has confirmed that NSFAS is facing financial problems. It notes that it will pay, but it will not cover everything as it has in previous years.
The NSFAS Facebook page states that the financial-aid scheme is currently under pressure as it provides loans and bursaries to 25 universities and 50 public TVET colleges throughout the country.
It has been posted on Facebook and on NSFAS’ web page that there will be an additional amount of R17 million funding for health and welfare students for 2015.
It has also been reported that more than 500 in the health and welfare sector will continue being funded.
This follows the signing of an agreement between the NSFAS and the Health and Welfare Sector Education and Training Authority (HWSETA).
NSFAS says the agreement serves as confirmation to fund students interested in the HWSETA as it is general knowledge that it is a scarce skills category for the 2015 academic year.
In 2013, at least 485 were funded to the value of R17,9 million and in 2014, the HWSETA approved the continued funding of 259 students to the value of approximately R8,1 million.
NSFAS/HWSETA is considered as the first agreement to be signed for the 2015 academic year.
