Pretoria - The year-on-year systematic challenges and delays in issuing student allowances by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is a problem that needs to be addressed promptly to ensure the continued stability of higher education institutions.
The latest institution to be rocked by student protests over the delayed payments of allowances was Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University in Ga-Rankuwa, north of Pretoria.
Last week, the university was forced to suspend academic programmes after disgruntled students blockaded the entrance of the institution, demanding the immediate issuing of their student allowances.
University spokesperson Dr Lusani Netshitomboni said they were able to resume with the academic programme yesterday, following meetings and discussions between student representatives and the university management.
According to Netshitomboni, the students’ plight regarding allowances for January, February, and March was an issue the university was well aware of, adding the head of the institution as well as the university management have held discussions with the financial aid scheme for some time already, but to no avail.
He said students had also attempted to engage in the scheme and had even gone to the extent of visiting the head office in Cape Town.
As a result of the failure to reach an agreement with the scheme, he said students ended up resorting to demonstrating and disrupting the academic project.
‘’Following the engagements, the university decided to give allowances to qualifying university students with the view of assisting them in the interim and recoup the funds once NSFAS disperses the funds. It’s not an ideal situation for the university, but we, unfortunately, could not wash our hands of the situation,’’ he said.
Netshitomboni added that the suspensions issued to four members of the Student Representative Council (SRC) had also been lifted following the representations made by the members.
The university has not been alone in facing student protests or demonstrations over student allowances.
In February, students at the University of Pretoria ended up sleeping outside the university's residence offices due to insufficient funds to pay for on-campus and off-campus residences.
The students, who were also funded by NSFAS, demanded an increase in their accommodation allowance funding of R45 000 per annum to match the higher rental costs they are expected to pay.
University spokesperson Rickus Delport at the time said the university was disappointed in NSFAS’ rejection of the exemption application made by the institution.
Around the same time, student protests erupted at the University of Witwatersrand, also over issues regarding NSFAS funding.
Pretoria News