‘UFS will not over-enrol’

Many students hopeful to pursue their studies at the University of the Free State (UFS) are unlikely to enrol for 2019.

The university announced it has a capacity of 8 900 spaces for first-time entering under­graduate students in 2019, approved by the university’s senate and the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET).

The approved number is far less than applications by students who were hopeful to study at the institution.

Lacea Loader, UFS director of communication and marketing, said that to date the institution has received over 52 000 applications.

She said the university would not consider taking the risk to register more than its capacity, due to the impact of over-enrolment.

“Although the UFS has significantly increased its student enrolment numbers in the past few years, the university has reached its admissions capacity and is not able to take walk-in applicants in 2019,” stated Loader.

“Over-enrolment has a serious impact on students in terms of the academic integrity of the university’s academic programmes.

“It stretches the university’s resource capacity, which affects the workload of academic and support staff and negatively impacts the university’s infrastructure, given the limited space in lecture venues and laboratories,” she explained.

Loader has advised applicants without an acknowledgement letter for 2019 studies, those who submitted their application after the closing date of 30 September, and those who do not have an offer to study, to apply to the Central Application Clearing House (CACH).

“Such students can access CACH via cach.dhet.gov.za,” said Loader.

The CACH is an initiative of the DHET, offering a service aimed at assisting applicants who wish to study at one of the many South African universities or colleges in 2019, but have not yet applied or been offered a place at the institution where they applied.