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The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas) has called on the Private Student Housing Association (PSHA) to address the ongoing concerns over unpaid accommodation providers.
This follows PSHA’s statement on Monday, highlighting millions in outstanding payments and the potential risk of students losing housing.
The PSHA warned that accommodation providers would not open for returning students unless Nsfas settles the R44 million owed from last year’s accommodation within 14 days.
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The non-payment issue has escalated concerns within the higher education sector, as accommodation providers warn of potential disruptions at the start of the academic year.
Nsfas administrator Freeman Nomvalo has urged PSHA to urgently provide a list of affected accommodation providers and students to expedite resolutions.
He further called on all accommodation providers with legitimate outstanding claims to submit their details for verification and processing.
“We need full cooperation to ensure that verified claims are addressed promptly,” Nomvalo stated.
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The financial scheme explicitly states that it will only make payments after receiving legitimate claims.
“Nsfas would like to remind all [accommodation providers] that payments for student accommodation will only be finalised upon receipt of legitimate accommodation claims,” Nomvalo said.
The scheme assured stakeholders it would validate the claims and process outstanding payments, including those not disbursed through institutions or Nsfas payment service providers.
The scheme implemented stricter measures for the 2025 academic year to ensure transparency.
“In the current academic year, [it] is implementing measures to ensure certainty and clarity about claims and disbursements.”
The financial provider instructs all affected accommodation providers with unpaid 2024 claims to submit them to NsfasAccomProv@nsfas.org.za for direct engagement and prompt resolution.
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This comes amid growing criticism of Nsfas’ handling of accommodation payments, with stakeholders demanding urgent action to prevent further strain on students and landlords.
On Wednesday, Outa urged financial providers to allow universities and colleges to manage student housing in 2025, citing the fund’s inadequate handling of private accommodation.
Outa senior project manager Rudie Heyneke warned of a student accommodation crisis because of Nsfas‘ poor handling of private student accommodation.
“Both students and landlords are victims of Nsfas’ poor financial management.
“Outa has been warning since 2023 that Nsfas is sitting on a student accommodation time bomb, and this issue must be urgently addressed,” said Heyneke.
Heyneke added that inexperience and lack of skills among many Nsfas-appointed accreditation agents led to student protests at various campuses early last year.
He warns that similar scenes may unfold in 2025 if the current issues are unresolved.
NOW READ: Nsfas to settle R44m debt: Outa calls for immediate action
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