The embattled National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) top brass came under fire over what MPs in the portfolio committee on higher education described as a “mess”.
The embattled National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) top brass came under fire over what MPs in the portfolio committee on higher education described as a “mess” of flawed planning and implementation of projects and funding on Wednesday.
The entity briefed the committee over funding of students and progress in the implementation of its student accommodation pilot project, among others.
NSFAS acting CEO Masile Ramorwesi said as of February 12 they had received 1 904 209 applications, and 2024 applications were expected to be closed on Thursday.
About 89 998 students were provisionally funded and 369 320 were awaiting evaluations.
“NSFAS is working hard to ensure that the processes are being speeded up and we have also received additional capacity in order to deal with specific cases,” Ramorwesi said.
ANC MP Tebogo Letsie said: “The NSFAS bursary application is just a mess.
We are not dealing with numbers here but people who are in dire need.
“According to NSFAS, nearly 400 000 students are still awaiting evaluation, and most universities have started teaching and learning. These children don’t know whether they are coming or going.
“They need to finalise this soon so that students know if they will be funded or not and can register. Some of these students have already lost their spaces at the institutions because they are waiting for evaluation and could not raise R3 000 and R6 000 for registration.
“We also cannot have last year’s problem this year, of appeals being dealt (with) until December. We are also concerned about the delays of accreditation of accommodation. I have been worried about NSFAS but more worried now. The maths of beds doesn’t add up.”
DA MP Chantel King expressed concern over Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) students who were sleeping in halls and outside.
“We noted the communication by the university that they have reached some form of understanding with NSFAS that they will be taken off the pilot project.
“This raised questions then about the criteria that the entity embarked on that enables them to put institutions on and just take them off the pilot project.
“We have also heard from various institutions that there were no clear guidelines and proper communication or consultations with regard to this project.
“According to the Nelson Mandela University, at some stage they were caught off-guard because they already made commitments and signed contracts with private accommodation providers over a two-year period and then this pilot project matter was sprung upon them. They are now stuck, not knowing how to exit contractual agreements they made with the service providers,” said King.
She also voiced her concern about the number of beds accredited to date due to a number of students already stranded and an accommodation crisis that might loom.
King questioned if it was worthwhile forging ahead with the extension of the project.
CPUT has been exempted from the accommodation pilot project. The financial aid will be facilitating the unaccredited private accommodation process for 2024.
University spokesperson Lauren Kansley said: “We received notification today that NSFAS will relinquish the accommodation pilot project back to CPUT. This was traditionally always the university’s function. Essentially, it means that unaccredited private accommodation and the allocation of places into that to NSFAS qualifying applicants will now become a CPUT responsibility.
“We are optimistic that this positive development will smooth the process of accommodating these remaining unplaced applicants. We have opened the application window today and applicants have till March 2 when it closes.”
This process is only applicable to NSFAS qualifying students who could not be accommodated in the university-owned, leased residence, and accredited accommodation.”
Kansley also said the process to move hundreds of students who have been sleeping at the District Six and Mowbray campus halls began on Tuesday night and by Wednesday evening they were in the process of moving 80 more.
Cape Times
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