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Several students who were approved by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) for funding to further their studies at the Central University of Technology (CUT), Free State, and the University of the Free State (UFS) are now in a state of limbo. They are bitterly lamenting the frustration of waiting long periods for tuition fee and allowance payments.
Students are yet to receive their allowances for the second quarter, while awaiting clarification for the delayed payment. The embattled scheme enlisted two service providers, Ezaga Holdings and Norraco Corporation, for the monthly payment of allowances and tuition fees to students enrolled at the respective universities.
It has emerged that more than 1 000 students, mostly first-years, have been affected.
On Monday, 15 April, scores of affected students at the CUT’s Bloemfontein campus, jointly led by the South African Students Congress (Sasco) and EFF Student Command, were seen protesting, expressing their frustration regarding the delayed payment by Norraco.
This began with a silent protest on Friday, 12 April, during the CUT’s inauguration ceremony of Dr Thabane Vincent Maphai as the new chancellor in the Boet Troskie Hall. Students held aloft posters bearing messages of their frustration, further blaming the process for the brutal killing of Thato Molaodi (19) and injuring of Lerato Khobeni (20).
It emerged the pair had been heading to the campus to try and solve the delayed payment of their funds when they were ruthlessly attacked by four young men, who were later arrested.
Ezaga Holding responded that NSFAS had decided to distribute the initial allowance owed to students through universities, and that it was not involved in this disbursement of funds.
The Sasco branch at the UFS said it had received communication relating to the non-payment of allowances by Ezaga from more than 1 000 students approved for NSFAS funding. The student body said among the students were first-year students, who are struggling with their onboarding onto the service provider’s system.
“Affected students struggle with food insecurity, health sanitary products, and the biggest challenge is having a roof over their head,” stated Sasco.
The student body laments that affected students are facing a bleak future, confronted by the possibility of being unable to continue with their studies; and with some even dropping out due to the delayed payment of necessary funds.
The NSFAS board’s inability to resolve the ongoing crisis led to the minister of Higher Education, Blade Nzimande, dissolving the board on Friday, appointing Sithembiso Freeman Nomvalo as the new administrator of NSFAS.
He has been mandated to, among others, urgently resolve the data integration challenges and finalise all the necessary funding decisions and outstanding payments to students. This also extends to concerns regarding student accommodation.
