Students yet again left hanging over NSFAS funding confusion

Several postponements of the registration deadline and uncertainty over last-minute changes in the qualification criteria of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) left 2,500 North-West University (NWU) students in a financial crisis earlier this year.

Danie Hefer, manager at financial support services (Potchefstroom campus), said the registration period was extended due to delays in the NSFAS selection process. On 16 February the NWU announced that the registration period would be extended to 22 February, which was followed by two further extensions, the final date being 14 March 2023.

“Unfortunately, there’s a lack of adequate communication between NSFAS and the university,” Hefer said.

The students were told they lost their funding after a sudden change in the academic qualification criteria. In previous years NSFAS students needed to pass 50% of their modules to continue receiving funding, but NSFAS’s 2022 guidelines outlined a change in criteria for 2023, as illustrated in the infographic below.

In January 2023, South African universities heard that the criteria released in 2022 will no longer be implemented. The NWU calculated eligibility according to the 50%-rule, however, after noticing that numerous students lost their funding, it became clear that the criteria changed again.

On 15 March 2023, NSFAS announced on Twitter that the criteria will once again be a pass rate of 50%. Hefer said: “This means that some students who were turned away initially, will now be funded by NSFAS. This brings about other complications as the academic year is already in full swing.”

The NWU is waiting for confirmation about which of the 2,500 students excluded from funding, will now be supported by NSFAS following the amendment in the qualification criteria, according to Hefer. 

To identify NSFAS students among preliminarily accepted students whose registration has not yet been finalised, the NWU allowed senior students whose funding was rejected to lodge appeals. This allowed the university to identify NSFAS students who could continue with their academic work while waiting for final confirmation. 

Bokang Masha, a student in cultural and heritage tourism management, was rejected before he could enrol for his third year. He said, “Everything went south when NSFAS decided to shut me out; all my plans for the year have changed for the worst.” 

Hefer added that many students lost their funding due to the  N+1 rule, which many students are not informed about. The N refers to the set number of years allocated to complete a qualification programme, for example, three years for a BA degree. The +1 refers to an additional year NSFAS will allow for a student to complete the programme. 

Hefer said that the NWU has been trying its best to support students despite the complex situation. “We are trying our best despite the current situation, and although there is outstanding debt which NSFAS owes the university, it does not prohibit qualifying NSFAS students to continue with their studies. The NWU made R19 million available to postgraduate students previously funded by NSFAS to ensure that academic achievers with a lack of funding can continue studying.” – Keletso Baas and Ruben Jooste

This article was updated on 27 March.