Student funds that cover everything from tuition to pocket money are a huge drain on the fiscus
27 March 2025 - 05:00
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Kingsley Moswane laments how the National Student Financial Aid Scheme betrays students (Letters, March 13-19), but in my opinion, he fails to realise that the pot of government money is not bottomless and Jacob Zuma pulled a fast one on the government after he was booted out at the 2017 ANC conference.
He promised free higher education and with the stroke of a pen created a millstone for the government. I am puzzled why no-one stood up and vetoed that pie-in-the-sky idea.
I also struggle to understand why the modern-day student loan has morphed from just tuition fees to now include accommodation, food and pocket money.
It’s a huge drain on the fiscus and quite simply unsustainable.
Tony Ball Gillitts
The FM welcomes concise letters from readers. They can be sent to fmmail@fm.co.za
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
LETTER: Why NSFAS is unsustainable
Student funds that cover everything from tuition to pocket money are a huge drain on the fiscus
Kingsley Moswane laments how the National Student Financial Aid Scheme betrays students (Letters, March 13-19), but in my opinion, he fails to realise that the pot of government money is not bottomless and Jacob Zuma pulled a fast one on the government after he was booted out at the 2017 ANC conference.
He promised free higher education and with the stroke of a pen created a millstone for the government. I am puzzled why no-one stood up and vetoed that pie-in-the-sky idea.
I also struggle to understand why the modern-day student loan has morphed from just tuition fees to now include accommodation, food and pocket money.
It’s a huge drain on the fiscus and quite simply unsustainable.
Tony Ball
Gillitts
The FM welcomes concise letters from readers. They can be sent to fmmail@fm.co.za
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