Student funds body NSFAS gets the third degree
Without a clear plan, it is uncertain what the process for distributing funds to students will be
Sizwe Nxasana's early departure from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has confirmed that the organisation is on the verge of collapse. NSFAS is the only channel that distributes funding to students at universities and technical vocational education & training colleges. The collapse of the scheme will affect the student intake and leave thousands uncertain of whether they will receive funding. Without a clear plan, it is uncertain what the process for distributing funds to students will be, and higher education institutions will be crippled if fees are not paid. Nxasana resigned from NSFAS last week as the scheme battled to clear the backlog of student applications for funding dating back to 2016. In July higher education & training minister Naledi Pandor halted applications to the scheme, but she said this week funding would resume again in September. There have been isolated strikes at educational institutions since the beginning of the year, with claims by student...
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