In what has been described as a “crisis” for struggling students, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has yet to pay out allowances for study materials and meals.
Students are expected to begin the second academic term this week with no word of when they would receive the allowance.
The South African Union of Students (SAUS) has called on NSFAS to start disbursing allowances as students struggled to buy study materials.
“We are faced with a crisis. We will schedule a meeting with NSFAS for this week to understand the cause of the delay,” said SAUS spokesperson Asive Dlanjwa.
“What puzzles us is that NSFAS already has the R9.4 billion shortfall available – that should have been disbursed already. But their administration has been in tatters for the past six years. They need to get that in order,” said Dlanjwa.
Dlanjwa said some institutions had made advance payments to students for meals and study materials.
UWC students said more than 1 000 students were affected by the late disbursements.
“It’s really frustrating. We are expected to submit assignments and write tests, but we don't have learning materials, including laptops,” said one student.
She said some of the students received about R3 000 advance payments from the institution for the months of February and March, but others did not.
“We will start the second term and will have to play catch-up because some of us did poorly in tests and assignments. How do they expect us to study on empty stomachs? We are suffering,” said another student.
A member of the EFF Students Command (EFFSC) Lungelo Mnguni said only returning students received advance payments of R3 000 from CPUT in March while first-year students were left to fend for themselves.
“They were promised payments by March 31 but on the day were told that the university will only do the payments on April 16.
“Frustrated, the students held an impromptu protest outside Parliament. They also threatened to boycott the Varsity Shield rugby tournament hosted by CPUT. At midnight, the students received communication from the university advising them that they would receive payment of R1 500 each on April 4. That's the equivalent of one month’s meal allowance,” said Mnguni.
“There's no transparency on the payment of the allowances, both from NSFAS and the institutions. We are always kept in the dark as to when the disbursement will take place. It’s so unfair on students,” added Mnguni.
CPUT spokesperson Lauren Kansley said the university had taken a decision to fund the “2022 continuing students’ allowance payments until NSFAS released the payment to the university”.
It was unclear what the position was regarding first-year students.
UWC spokesperson Gasant Abarder said 9 515 students of 10 972 who were currently funded had received allowances.
Abarder said those students who did not receive allowances were requested to submit their banking details as well as private accommodation details, where applicable.
“Where these have been received and vetted, the university has advanced NSFAS students with university money while waiting for NSFAS to advance the student allowances.
“Some students are still in the process of providing these details and some are in a vetting process. Where students did not submit banking details or private accommodation details, as requested, this could not be done,” he said.
Stellenbosch University said it was waiting for the NSFAS bursary criteria to be released to determine the final amounts due to students, and once received, it would pay the advance allowances on a pro rata basis.
However, 4 306 students eligible for an NSFAS bursary were paid a cash allowance for study material.
The university’s senior administrative officer for Bursary and Loans, Kallie Sauls, said there was no official agreement with NSFAS to pay advance allowances to students.
NSFAS did not respond to questions.