More than 70,000 students who meet the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) funding criteria will be allowed to register, following a decision by the scheme’s administrator.
NSFAS administrator Professor Hlengani Mathebula said the decision was taken after months of efforts to address operational challenges that have affected students and higher education institutions.
Mathebula, who is the third administrator appointed to assist NSFAS since 2018, said he had spent the past three months engaging with more than 20 stakeholders, including students, universities, student representative councils (SRCs), unions and other groups that interact with the scheme.
He said the decision would benefit approximately 72,000 students across universities of technology and other institutions, including the University of South Africa (UNISA).
Many of the affected students have been waiting for clarity on whether they would be able to register while NSFAS finalised their funding status.
Mathebula said the students meet the scheme’s funding criteria and government policy requirements and would therefore be funded.
“I’ve taken a decision that we will pay those students, we’ll allow those universities to register,” Mathebula said.
The administrator has also submitted a stabilisation plan to the Minister of Higher Education and Training as part of efforts to address the ongoing operational challenges at NSFAS.
Mathebula said extensive consultations with stakeholders had helped the scheme identify key issues and develop measures aimed at improving its operations.
The decision is expected to provide relief to thousands of students who have faced uncertainty over their registration and funding while NSFAS works to stabilise its processes.