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University student bodies are welcoming the decision to decentralise the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas) as a step in the right direction to address its long-standing crisis.
The decision to end the rental agreement for Nsfas offices in Cape Town marks a shift toward decentralising operations.
SA Union of Students’ Asive Dlanjwa said this should lead to faster funding and turnaround time for appeals and queries.
“This has been a long-standing call of ours. Unfortunately, it was not addressed by the previous administration, despite our persistent requests.
“A decentralised model will broaden access significantly. This transformative and progressive agenda aims to rectify historical imbalances and improve access for marginalised communities to funding,” he said.
Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane said the department wanted Nsfas to be decentralised.
The department plans to establish regional offices in the Eastern Cape, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.
The department will also consider satellite offices in other provinces. Previously, there were numerous complaints as students had to navigate online portals with slow turnaround times.
Dlanjwa said Treasury’s support was crucial for the success of this transformation.
“Our primary concern remains the commitment of National Treasury in the implementation of these changes. We have had past issues with Treasury’s unresponsiveness, which raises doubts about its commitment to the agenda of Nsfas.
“The success of this development will depend on whether they come on board, which remains to be seen,” he added.
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The financial aid scheme recently came under fire in parliament for signing the lease agreement.
Mangaliso Nompula of the South African Students Congress (Sasco) said centralisation had been a setback, contributing to the challenges within the scheme.
“The centralisation was due to corruption and mishandling of funds at individual financial aid offices and aimed to standardise processes and address the issues.
“However, it led to an impractical situation with a single head office, which hindered accessibility and efficiency.
“But the department is willing to turn around the scheme.”
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