Covering the full cost of study for the minority of university students who currently qualify for assistance from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) would require an extra R10.7bn for the 2018 academic year, the Treasury said on Wednesday, as it sought to highlight the potential strain on the fiscus should students’ demands for free higher education be met. The government has yet to make a decision on whether to scrap university fees. President Jacob Zuma has received the final report of a commission he established to look into university fees, but he has yet to make it public. Last year NSFAS provided financial assistance to 225,950 university students who came from families with an income below R122,000 a year, a threshold that meant NSFAS reached about 30% of university students. NSFAS loans and bursaries cover only part of the costs facing qualifying students. "If NSFAS were to cover the full cost of study for the 30% of undergraduates who currently qualify, the s...
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