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South Africa: Student Funding Scheme, Minister Snub Parliamentary Hearing
GroundUp, 20 September 2023
The portfolio committee will issue a summons if NSFAS and the minister fail to attend the next meeting Read more »
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South Africa: NSFAS Collaborates With Government Agencies to Identify Unqualifying Students
SAnews.gov.za, 20 September 2023
Higher Education and Training Minister, Dr Blade Nzimande, says the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) will continue its collaborative work with other government… Read more »
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South Africa: Parliament Grills NSFAS Over Student Funding Failures
GroundUp, 7 September 2023
The scheme has had more than 170,000 appeals from students about allowance payments Read more »
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South Africa: Nsfas Accelerates Student Allowances Processing
SAnews.gov.za, 17 July 2023
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has confirmed that there is accelerated processing of student allowances. Read more »
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South Africa: Over 53,000 Appeals Approved for 2023 Academic Year
SAnews.gov.za, 8 August 2023
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) says a total of 53 206 student appeals have been approved for the 2023 academic year, pending registration at a public university… Read more »
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South Africa: About 100 Students March to NSFAS Over Funding Troubles
GroundUp, 24 May 2023
"We (SRCs) refuse to remain silent while the dreams and aspirations of the children of the poor and working class are trampled on by an unyielding bureaucracy." Read more »
South African Student Financing Scheme Snubs Govt Hearing
Representatives of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) and the Minister of Higher Education Blade Nzimande failed to attend a parliamentary meeting with the portfolio committee for higher education. They had been expected to present a turnaround plan for the funding scheme's failures.
Previously, NSFAS was grilled in Parliament on Wednesday by the portfolio committee for higher education over its ongoing failures on the payment of student allowances. According to the watchdog OUTA, the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse, NSFAS hired businesses without banking licence registrations to handle direct payment to students, and these businesses charged much higher rates than commercial banks. OUTA started exposing the irregularities as early as September 2022.
The financial aid scheme also drew outrage from hundreds of tertiary education students when they marched to the NSFAS head office in Cape Town in May 2023. The students listed 16 demands, among them the demand that universities continue facilitating payments to students.
InFocus
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Protests among South African students over high tuition fees have spread across the country with the South African Union of Students announcing that 26 universities are in favour ... Read more »
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The Minister of Higher Education Naledi Pandor has released the funds for 50,000 students who are govt-funded, and whose historical debt has stopped them from continuing their ... Read more »
