Higher Education and Training and National Student Financial Aid Scheme on funding challenges at universities

The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) acknowledge the recent challenges affecting funding within the university sector. These issues primarily arise from three key areas:

1. Application discrepancies: Some students from universities who applied during the TVET application cycle have experienced difficulties with their registration status due to errors encountered during the application process.
2. Late registration confirmations: Certain students, whose registration statuses were only confirmed after the official registration deadline, are currently facing delays in accessing funding support.
3. Appeals and budget constraints: Students whose appeals have been approved are experiencing funding shortfalls due to limited remaining budgets, impacting their ability to cover registration and related costs.

Both DHET and NSFAS are actively collaborating to address these challenges. Efforts include reviewing applications from students who applied during the TVET application cycle, providing funding for students whose registration was submitted late, and exploring options to allocate additional resources to support students with approved appeals. Institutions are also being encouraged to assist students in resolving outstanding issues promptly.

We remain committed to ensuring that all eligible students have access to the funding necessary to continue their studies without undue disruption. We appreciate the patience and understanding of students and stakeholders as we work diligently to resolve these issues swiftly.

Students are advised to regularly monitor updates through NSFAS and university communication channels.

Enquiries:
Camagwini Mavovana
Ministerial Media Liaison Officer
E-mail: Mavovana.c@dhet.gov.za

Mr. Ishmael Mnisi
NSFAS Spokesperson
E-mail: media@nsfas.org.za

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