International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Dr Naledi Pandor. (Photo by Gallo Images / Sunday Times /Simphiwe Nkwali)
Higher education Minister Naledi Pandor has ordered an investigation into the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), as the government funding model for college and university students faces a possible collapse, Sunday Independent has reported.
Student applications for the 2019 academic year have been put on hold while the crisis is dealt with.
NSFAS and the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) are allegedly still dealing with a backlog of applications from last year.
In a letter to NSFAS board chairperson Sizwe Nxasana, Pandor raised concerns, citing “inadequate progress in processing applications and approving payments.”
The letter goes on to accuse those involved in the multi-billion rand scheme tasked with helping students afford higher learning costs of incompetence and maladministration.
Inaccurate data about students, caused by an alleged lack of technology, was listed as one of the problems with the funding scheme.
READ MORE: NSFAS R14m ‘spending spree queen’ is still getting funded by NSFAS
NSFAS spokesperson Kagisho Mamabolo says the board and management are working with a DHET support team to resolve the issues brought up by the minister.
He also blamed the problems on the fact that over 20000 applications allegedly have outstanding documentation.
In May, Pandor warned of a “looming disaster” at NSFAS, declaring the organisation incapable of providing the billions in funding it is required to do.
Students at some universities have protested the non-payment of the NSFAS allowances.
Parliament was told by student organisations in May that without the funding, many students were left destitute and hungry on campus.
The problem is said to be so severe according to one source that students have begun dropping out despite being eligible for NSFAS funding.
“Every Grade 12 learner who passed last year and applied for funding may not be funded”, the source continued.
Pandor has given NSFAS a 14-day ultimatum, which lapses tomorrow.
The next step is, at this point, unclear.
While it seems that NSFAS incompetence has left students destitute, there has been at least one occasion when it has had the opposite effect.
The Sowetan recently reported that Sibongile Mani, the student who shot to fame last year for allegedly spending more than R800 000 of more than R14 million erroneously paid into her student account from NSFAS, is still being funded by the organisation.
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