Minister Pandor allocates R967 million to settle the historic debt of continuing NSFAS funded students

The Minister of Higher Education and Training, Naledi Pandor, is pleased to announce that the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) has allocated an additional sum of R967 million to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). This is specifically in order to settle the historic debt owed to universities by 52 514 NSFAS funded continuing students.

Minister Pandor said the issue of the historic debt owed to universities by these students, has been of concern and raised by stakeholders for some time. “This is a significant contribution. It will alleviate some of the debt owed to universities by students. It confirms that government is sensitive to the plight of students from poor and working-class families,” added Minister Pandor. The allocation is specifically for those students who had been funded on the previous funding scheme of the NSFAS. In other words, it applies to those who were students prior to the significantly improved funding support that began in 2018. Historically, these prior students were required to fund part of their costs through family or own funding and were unable to do so, hence the accrual of debt.

Minister Pandor indicated that this is the first phase of the assessment of the historical debt owed to universities. Work on the due diligence exercise begun by the Minister of Higher Education and Training, in consultation with the Minister of Finance and Minister of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation continues. “We have now concluded, the first phase of the due diligence. We found that 52 514 NSFAS qualifying students, who were registered for the 2018 academic year, owed universities R967 million,” Minister Pandor said. “Historic debt refers to money owed to the university by continuing NSFAS qualifying senior students. The relief applies to those who were registered in the 2018 academic year and were funded by NSFAS on a family income threshold of R122 000 per annum. These were students who met the academic criteria to enable them to graduate within the minimum allotted time plus two years.”

The funding provided by NSFAS for these students, was subject to a funding cap and often included the expectation of a family contribution. As a result, the amount of funding provided by NSFAS was sometimes insufficient to cover the total actual fees and cost of study debt, particularly at universities and in programmes with high fees. This resulted in students accruing debt with their institution, despite being funded by NSFAS. The Minister said, “We are aware that there will be some students who entered the university system prior to the new scheme being implemented in 2018, who will continue to be funded through NSFAS on the pre-2018 funding model. These students would have accrued further debt during their 2018 academic year if their fees were above the NSFAS cap”.  In order to address this, Minister Pandor said, her department plans to provide funding to NSFAS during the 2019 academic year to clear this debt. It is expected that all the students funded through the old scheme based on the R122 000 threshold, would have exited the system by the 2022 academic year.

The Minister also appealed to stakeholders in broader society, particularly those in the private sector, to work with Government and institutions in finding solutions to support students from families that cannot afford to pay university study costs. She stressed that the DHET will work with all stakeholders to find ways to relieve the debt burden of these students. The aim is to assist government in developing a comprehensive student funding solution to assist ‘missing middle’ students in order to fund their university studies.

Cautionary Announcement:  The Department of Higher Education and Training warns private skills development providers against unscrupulous persons claiming to be consultants working with the department

The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) has noted with concern, a scam wherein certain persons claim to be consultants, agents or intermediaries working with the DHET. They dupe Private Skills Development Providers (SDPs) into paying huge amounts of money. These amounts sometimes run into hundreds of thousands of Rands, for the ‘service’ of completing and submitting applications for registration to the DHET.

DHET warns private SDPs against these alleged consultants, agents or intermediaries. SDPs and private education and training institutions do not have or work through these consultants, agents or intermediaries for their registration. DHET calls upon private SDPs and other categories of private education institutions, to lodge their applications for registration directly with the Department for the nominal fee of R500. Application forms are obtainable from the website www.dhet.gov.za. Should assistance be required in the completion and submission of applications, such assistance is provided free of charge by DHET officials.

The registration of private SDPs follows the publication of Joint Communique 1 of 2016, on The Registration of Private and Accreditation of Private Education and Training Providers Offering Qualifications and Part-Qualifications on the Occupational Qualifications Sub-Framework.

For more information, please contact Ms Monica Motloi on 012 312 5021 or motloi.m@dhet.gov.za

Statement by the Minister of Higher Education and Training, Ms GNM Pandor, on Opportunities for the Class of 2018 in the Post-School Education and Training System

Technical and Vocational Education and Training

The mandate of the Department of Higher Education and Training, is to develop a skilled and capable workforce that can contribute to an inclusive growth path.

Central to achieving this mandate is ensuring that students get access to, and succeed in, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges leading to intermediate and high-level skills. TVET colleges play a pivotal role in addressing South Africa’s skills needs. They cater for a wide spectrum and growing numbers of students. TVET colleges have flexible and diverse course offerings. These range from full qualifications to short courses, occupational and skills programmes, learnerships and various South African Qualification Authority (SAQA) registered qualifications.

While education is an apex priority of government, technical and vocational education and training needs to be the apex of post-school education and training. The focus is on ensuring transformation with regards to relevant and responsive curricula, lecturer development, improved administration, management and governance of TVET colleges. This is with the aim of producing employable young people with high quality occupational and vocational education and training skills. Government will continue to grow the system so that TVET colleges become institutions of choice. Providing skills to growing numbers of students and ultimately exceeding the number of university students significantly.

In pursuit of the Department’s mandate to increase access and success in TVET college learning programmes and to transform TVET colleges into institutions of choice in 2019, three new campuses will receive funding support from the fiscus, enabling them to enrol more students. The planned headcount enrolments at these three new campuses total 3 620. They can be broken down as follows: 

Students who have completed Grade 9 or 12, the latter with a minimum of a Higher Certificate achievement, can consider studying further at one of 50 public TVET colleges.  In 2019, there will be 322 438 new entrant opportunities provided by TVET colleges of which 102 648 opportunities will be available for students interested in studying towards a National Diploma in Engineering or Business Studies. Meanwhile, 215 129 new entrant opportunities will also be available across 19 programmes for the National Certificate (Vocational). This programme provides both theory and practical experience in various vocational fields. There will also be 4 661 entry opportunities into the Pre-vocational Learning Programme (PLP). This programme will enable students who do not meet the requirements for admission to their programmes of choice, to first obtain the required knowledge and competencies. This will enable these students to enrol for those programmes in the next academic year.

TVET colleges also offer occupationally directed programmes. Occupationally directed programmes are accredited by Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) under the auspices of the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO).  In 2019, there will be a total of 70 600 opportunities in these programmes. Among these, are programmes offered through apprenticeship or learnership agreements between TVET colleges, employers and students. Part of occupational programme enrolment is in the form of the Dual System Pilot Project (DSPP). This pilot project will have an intake of 146 electrician and plumber apprentices at the Eastcape Midlands and Ekurhuleni West TVET Colleges.

Centres of Specialisation

The Centres of Specialisation (CoS) is a national programme aimed at building the capacity of the public TVET college system. This will allow TVET colleges to deliver trade qualifications while building the much-needed skills for Strategic Integrated Projects (SIPs). The programme has been initiated on 26 college campuses spread across the country. These campuses will provide training in 13 critical trades and occupations that are in short supply. This training will support various infrastructure development initiatives and the economic needs of the country in general.

Each campus will enrol a minimum of 30 apprentices per trade. The programme commences this month with employers appointing 845 apprentices and sending them to colleges between February and March. Four employer associations, namely, the Retail Motor Industry (RMI), Steel and Engineering Industry Federation (SEIFSA), Institute of Plumbing (IOPSA) and the South African Institute of Welding (SAIW), are part of this ground-breaking initiative.

University Education

Many of those who have met the entrance requirements for university study will be pursuing degrees, diplomas and higher certificates at one of our 26 public universities.

Recent changes in the policy on The Minimum Admission Requirements for Higher Certificate, Diploma and Bachelor’s Degree, requiring a National Senior Certificate, have enabled expanded entry into Bachelor’s degree studies. This is on the basis of a student having obtained the minimum requirements. These are: having any four 20-credit National Senior Certificate (NSC) subjects, with a pass percentage achievement of 50 or higher; and at least 30% in the language of teaching and learning. This measure has enabled a wider range of 20-credit subjects to be recognised for Bachelor Degree studies entry. The minimum achievement requirement in the language has not changed. It is important to note that entrance into university studies is linked to academic achievements in the National Senior Certificate (NSC). While the minimum requirement to achieve a bachelor’s degree, diploma, or higher certificate pass in the NSC is set in policy, individual institutions and programmes may set specific entrance requirements. This means that a person with a Bachelor’s pass does not necessarily meet the requirement for entry into any Bachelor Degree programme.

In 2019, our 26 public universities will provide access to approximately 210 801 new entrants wishing to pursue their studies across all general, technical and professional fields. This includes Business and Management, Science, Engineering, Agriculture and Technology, Humanities, Social Sciences, the Arts and Education.

The mid-term review of the enrolment plan was completed early in 2017. All universities were required to consider their enrolments in terms of fiscal realities and constraints, and to plan realistically. Universities were required to ensure that the targeted enrolment numbers, resulted in the optimum number of new students entering the system for the first time in 2018 and 2019. Ensuring that these students would be fully supported through the available infrastructure; sufficient qualified lecturers and academics. The enrolment plan provides details of the enrolment targets for all fields of study. Specifically for those scarce skills fields that support SA’s growth. These include Engineering Sciences, Life and Physical Sciences, Animal and Human Health Sciences, and Teacher Education. In 2019, of the 210 800 new entrants, approximately 69 776 students will be enrolling in the following fields of study:

• 17 028 in Engineering programmes
• 14 356 in Life and Physical Sciences programmes
• 11 510 in Human and Animal Health programmes of which
• 819 in Animal Sciences programmes
• 10 507 in Human Health programmes
• 184 in Veterinary Sciences programmes
• 26 882 in initial Teacher Education programmes

Universities have been requested not to over-enrol in 2019. Over-enrolment could lead to overcrowding, poor quality of teaching and learning, and unsustainability within the university system. Since the tragic loss of life incident at the University of Johannesburg in 2012, walk-in applications at institutions have been discouraged. Instead, there is the Apply Now! Campaign. The Campaign runs each year from March through to September in conjunction with the Khetha Career Development Services. Prospective students have been encouraged to make informed career choices and to apply on time. We are therefore confident that most students who are intending to enter a university in 2019 have already applied to the institution of their choice before the closing date. 

Fee-free higher education and training to poor and working-class students

Our commitment has been, to support as many academically deserving undergraduate students that require financial assistance, as possible. In 2018, government announced substantial new funding to support poor and working-class students. The target is to provide university and TVET college access to prospective students of families earning no more than R350 000 per annum. The new funding was introduced for first-time entry students into the system in 2018. It will now be continued for the next group of first-time entering students in 2019. The new funding model will be phased in over five years. Students who qualify for funding must have applied for and been offered a place at a university in the first instance, and in the second instance be from a family with a gross annual income of less than R350 000 per annum. Any student that accepts the funding to study, must sign a bursary agreement form and accept the conditions of the funding provided, in order to receive their funding. 

National Student Financial Aid Scheme

In 2018, there were some National Student Financial Aid Scheme’s (NSFAS) system challenges in implementing the new scheme. Many deserving students only received their funding late. NSFAS was placed under administration in August 2018. The Administrator and his team have managed to get the scheme back on track. They have assured the Department of Higher Education and Training that plans and processes are in place for 2019. These arrangements will ensure that the same challenges of 2018 are not experienced again in 2019. Qualifying students will be in a position to have their funding confirmed early in the academic year. The aim is to ensure that they have the best chance of success in their studies.

While government has invested massively in providing funding for poor and working-class students, supporting them in university and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) studies, it is important that the private sector and other funders, including foundations, fellow national and provincial departments, etc. continue to provide bursaries and scholarships to students studying in the university system. First-time entry students in 2019 who come from households with incomes of up to R350 000 per annum, who have been awarded bursaries or scholarships from other funders, will not qualify for full NSFAS bursaries. However, NSFAS will consider financial aid to these students on a ‘top-up’ basis if they are not fully funded through their bursary or scholarship. NSFAS will work with universities to ensure that there is no “double dipping”.

In 2019, we have arranged, through NSFAS, to pay the registration or first fee instalment for all NSFAS qualifying students as an upfront payment to universities and TVET colleges, in January. Therefore, NSFAS qualifying students will not pay any registration or upfront fees in 2019. All other students are expected to pay their upfront/registration fees. The issue of debt owed by NSFAS qualifying students, is being dealt with through a due diligence exercise carried out in 2018, and which is currently being finalised. All institutions have been requested to register returning NSFAS qualifying students who meet the academic requirement, but who still owe institutions fees, while this process is finalised. NSFAS qualifying students will be requested to sign an acknowledgement of debt form. This is similar to what was implemented in the 2018 academic year. This process will enable them to register. It is expected that the due diligence process will be finalised in the first quarter of 2019.

All universities have also been requested to continue implementing processes to enable academically successful students, who have outstanding student debt, to continue with their studies in 2019. The financial sustainability of the quality of universities will be at risk if students do not pay their fees and outstanding debts. Students who are academically deserving and struggling financially to pay their registration fees and/or outstanding debt, must engage their university’s finance office to agree upon a repayment plan. Universities have been requested to manage student debt through fair and transparent debt management policies and processes to ensure that outstanding student debt is recovered over a reasonable and mutually acceptable period. The private sector and other funders are encouraged to help support deserving students, especially those who do not qualify for NSFAS funding, but that require financial assistance to complete their studies.

The NSFAS Administrator and his team have been working around the clock to ensure that there is a smooth registration period in 2019. NSFAS will work closely with financial aid offices at institutions to ensure that deserving students are provided with funding decisions as soon as possible.

University students that qualify for the bursary will receive funding for the actual tuition cost plus a set amount for study materials. Students may also qualify for subsidised accommodation and meals or transport capped at specific rates. Qualification for subsidised accommodation, meals or transport will be managed in terms of the accommodation and transport policy of institutions. Since there is insufficient university owned or managed accommodation available, not all students who qualify for a subsidy will be accommodated in university owned or managed accommodation. Guidelines for the management of student funding for poor and working-class students have been developed and will be implemented to ensure that the funding is effectively and efficiently managed to support poor and working-class students.      

Students who apply and qualify for bursaries, will be required to sign a contract with NSFAS. The contract will have binding obligations attached. These will include academic requirements as well as service requirements.

Central Applications Clearing House

Prospective first-time entry students who have applied for space in a university but have not been able to secure a space in their institution of choice, will be referred to the Central Applications Clearing House (CACH) for assistance. CACH assists prospective students in finding another available space in the Post-School Education and Training (PSET) system. Students who did not apply to an institution can also utilise CACH for assistance, particularly for referral to career guidance services. 

The CACH service was developed to assist learners who are eligible for higher education studies. It targets learners who have applied for space at a university but have not been offered a place at the institution of their choice, after the Grade 12 results were released. CACH went live on the 4^th of January and will continue to operate until the end of February.

Learners looking for spaces at PSET institutions can contact the toll-free call centre on 0800 356 635, or send an SMS with their name, ID and contact number to 49200 for the call-back service. They can also access the system via the website http://cach.dhet.gov.za or send an email to CACH@dhet.gov.za. The CACH service will verify the learner’s information and forward it to institutions that still have unfilled places. Where places exist, and applicants meet the admission requirements, institutions will contact learners to offer them available places.

The 2019 CACH service is linked to the Khetha Helpline, which can provide further advice, guidance and information and assist anyone interested in pursuing higher education and training opportunities or other skills development opportunities in the PSET system. Learners will be guided through possible alternative options at TVET colleges, artisan training and other skills development opportunities.

We call on all prospective students who have not been able to secure a space in a post-school education and training institution and who are interested in studying further in 2018, to register with the CACH to receive assistance. Do not waste your time, money and energy rushing to campuses to try to register if you do not have a firm offer of a space. Increase your chances of finding a placement by contacting the CACH.

Private Higher Education Institutions

There are a total of 127 Private Higher Education Institutions (PHEIs) registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training. They offer higher education and vocational programmes, across diverse fields of study. These range from Higher Certificate to Doctoral studies through both distance and contact modes of delivery. The number of registered PHEIs changes from time-to-time, depending on the economy, the accreditation status of programmes and compliance with regulations. The Department monitors the system to ensure compliance on an ongoing basis and publishes an updated register of Registered PHEIs on a monthly basis on the Department’s website. The list includes details of the accredited programmes they may legally offer, as well as accredited sites of delivery. All prospective students wishing to study at a PHEI need to check the register to ensure that the institution is operating legally, and is accredited to offer the programme. While PHEIs operating legally play an important role within the higher education sector and offer credible and quality programmes, there are a number of ‘bogus’ institutions that continue to advertise unregistered and unaccredited programmes to unsuspecting students. It is also important to check that the programme you wish to register for at a legally registered PHEI, is accredited by the Council on Higher Education. 

Private Colleges

The Department of Higher Education and Training has registered a large number of private colleges to ensure that these private colleges provide quality education and training to students. Some private colleges operate without being registered. To close down unregistered private education and training institutions, the Department is working closely with the South African Police Service and other law-enforcement authorities.

The Department advises students who want to enrol at private colleges to check the registration status of such private colleges with the Department through its toll-free number: 0800 87 22 22.  Alternatively, students can log on to the website of the Department where the ‘Register of Private Colleges’ is published and updated on a regular basis. The website address is www.dhet.gov.za/resources/registers.

Students living with special needs

The Department of Higher Education and Training is committed to expanding access and success for students living with special needs in PSET institutions. To this end, NSFAS has a special fund to support students living with disabilities. This fund can be utilised to provide assistive devices as well as financial support for tuition, learning materials and living expenses. Students living with disabilities from families with gross family incomes of up to R600 000 may qualify for support, provided they are admitted into and are registered at a university.

The Department is also committed to improving the capacity of TVET colleges to accommodate and serve students with disabilities by developing the funding model for students with disabilities. The National Guidelines will provide greater clarity regarding the provision of integrated and holistic support to students in the TVET college sector and will set minimum standards for an inclusive teaching and learning approach to support students in all aspects of students’ college life, including academic life, arts, sports and culture.

Furthermore, this holistic approach takes into account the built environment, the use of specialised technology, training in appropriate pedagogies as well as capacity building of lecturers. Currently, about 20% of colleges enrol and cater for students with disabilities. The intention is to grow provision by 5% annually, depending on funding available for this purpose.

Artisan Learnerships and Apprenticeships

The National Development Plan furthermore requires that by 2030 at least 30 000 qualified artisans be produced per year. In South Africa, there is a growing trend of learners, who have completed their NSC and utilised learnership or apprenticeship opportunities to become artisans in the civil, mechanical, electrical, manufacturing or support services career fields.

To this effect, learners must continue to seek and utilise a Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) or National Skills Fund (NSF) funded artisan learnership or apprenticeship opportunities to access artisan training in the various fields of engineering and services.

Learners who have an inclination to become artisans,  such as a motor mechanic, plumber, electrician, chef, hairdresser, among others, can register at the National Artisan Development Support Centre (NADSC) at INDLELA by going to their website: http://nadsc.dhet.gov.za  calling the NADSC call centre on 086 999 0125 or by emailing copies of their qualifications to nadscinfo@dhet.gov.za or nadscplacements@dhet.gov.za. 

SETAs will be providing 93 685 opportunities in various learning programmes such as learnerships, bursaries, internships, skills programmes, apprenticeship, etc.

Prospective trainees and apprentices can also approach any of the Student Support Services’ offices at any of the public TVET colleges or the Khetha Career Development Services at the Department for more information.

It is critical to note that to be accepted into an artisan-training programme in a technical field, a learner must have passed Mathematics with a minimum mark of 50% and have achieved a pass in Science. Out-of-school youth who wish to enter the world of work, or need to increase their skills capabilities, can also consider the options of learnerships, apprenticeships and skills programmes.

TVET colleges also offer occupationally directed programmes that are accredited by SETAs under the auspices of the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations. Among these, are programmes that are offered through apprenticeship or learnership agreements between the student, TVET colleges and employers.

National Skills Fund

The National Skills Fund (NSF) will continue to invest in TVET colleges towards the goal of funding ±15 000 learners per annum in occupationally directed programmes. These programmes should be linked to scarce and critical skills areas, especially with regards to artisan development.

The NSF will also be funding significant quality improvements in the TVET college sector, of which the following can be noted:

• development of a foundational learning programme to improve learner throughput;
• creation of Centres of Specialisation for 13 priority trades across the country in the TVET colleges; and
• providing connectivity to TVET college campuses across the country through the South African National Research Network. 

The National Skills Fund has, for the 2019 academic year, provisionally allocated more than R580 million towards undergraduate bursaries. Students must be enrolled in scarce and critical skills areas related to priority occupations. Based on this preliminary allocation, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) will award undergraduate bursaries. Students wishing to make use of these bursaries are advised to enrol for critical skills study programmes. Such programmes include Science, Commerce, Health Sciences, Engineering and many others. As a strategic initiative, the NSF will also support students selected through the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) programme studying towards the Certificate for Theory in Accounting (CTA).

The NSF is also committed to expanding access and success in our institutions for students who have special needs. The NSF will be supporting Blind SA in order to benefit 50 learners at a total allocated cost of R3,1 million; the Higher Education and Training HIV/AIDS Programme (HEAIDS) to the amount of R36 million targeting university and TVET students; and the SA Disability Trust to benefit 1 614 learners at a total allocated cost of R29,2 million.

Didn’t quite make the grade?

The Central Application Clearing House is ready to assist prospective students with their placement as from 4 January 2019.

The Central Application Clearing House (CACH) system, which will open on the 4^th of January 2019, is a government online application service. It was designed and introduced by the Department of Higher Education and Training to assist individuals who want to access university, college and skills development opportunities.

CACH is particularly useful for applicants/individuals who have applied for admission to a university or college in time in 2018, but who have not been offered a place in their programme of choice. It is also useful for prospective students who had applied and met the entry requirements based on their Grade 11 results, but find that they now do not meet the entry requirements when their Grade 12 results are released. CACH also provides access to skills development opportunities, including artisan programmes and learnerships. Institutions with skills development or study opportunities will then select potential students from the CACH database and make direct contact with those selected.

The CACH service follows the following different phases:

Phase 1: Individuals looking for space in the PSET system can contact the call centre on 0860 356 635 or SMS with their name and ID Number to 49200 and be called back free of charge. Individuals can also register or sign up online via the website: http://cach.dhet.gov.za .

Phase 2: The agents will call a prospective student back free of charge, from the contact centre and verify if the person called by asking three security questions. Thereafter the agents will register all requested details on the CACH database, indicating the learners' chosen field of study and the province in which they wish to study.

Phase 3: The applicant’s personal details and matric results will be confirmed and automatically transferred to institutions of higher learning for possible admission and placement, on confirmation by the applicant. The CACH service verifies the learner’s information before forwarding to institutions that still have available places.

Phase 4: Where places exist and applicants meet the requirements, institutions will contact applicants directly to offer them available places.

The CACH 2019 service will be available from the 4^th of January 2019 to the 28^th of  February 2019;  Monday to Friday from 8H00 to 18H00 and Saturday 8H00 to 16H30. Though the CACH service does not guarantee placement at an institution, it has, since its inception in 2013, proven to significantly increase prospective students’ chances, by making data readily available to all possible institutions in the Post School Education and Training (PSET) system.

Find out more about CACH on our Facebook page which is CACH_SA.

Minister Naledi Pandor’s statement on 2019 NSFAS Applications

Tuesday, 4 December 2018  

National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) applications for the 2019 academic year officially closed on the 30 November 2018. The applications system was open for an extended period until Sunday 2 December 2018. I am pleased that the 2019 application process has performed well in terms of systems, applications received, as well as user experience.

As all are aware, the start of the 2018 academic year was difficult, with NSFAS facing numerous challenges. These included finalising funding decisions, addressing the 2017 academic year backlog, the non-payment and delays in the payment of allowances, and a weakness in data integration between NSFAS and institutions. The tardiness in resolving these challenges resulted in the scheme being placed under administration for 12 months, starting in August 2018.

That decision led to the appointment of Dr Randall Carolissen as the Administrator. I mandated Dr Carolissen to initially focus on two areas firstly, the effective close-out of the 2017 and 2018 funding cycles. This was to ensure that all students who had qualified for the bursary scheme were confirmed for funding and had received their allowances. Secondly, to develop effective plans for the 2019 funding cycle, in collaboration with universities, TVET colleges and my Department. This is to make sure that student funding for the 2019 academic year works smoothly. I am pleased to report that NSFAS has made good progress in both these areas. Dr Carolissen has appointed a strong team to assist him. The turnaround strategy to resolve outstanding disbursements for the current year, resulted in more than R3.6 billion being disbursed to institutions and a further R10 billion has been unlocked at universities and Colleges since the appointment of the Administrator. The team is focused on resolving all remaining problems.

As we prepare for next year, the 2019 application cycle has proceeded relatively smoothly. More than 400 000 applications were received between the opening of applications on the 3^rd of September and the closing of applications on the 3^rd of December. On average, NSFAS received more than 3 200 applications a day over the period from September to December, with the number reaching as high as 30 000 a day over the last two weeks. Most of the applicants were females (63%). Males made up 37% of applicants. However, it is a concern that only 12% of the applications are from learners who wish to enrol at TVET colleges. The balance of 88% being applications for universities. A total of 34 413 applications has been received from SASSA recipients. You will recall that SASSA recipients automatically qualify in terms of the financial qualification criteria. They will be funded, if admitted, and register at a TVET college or university. 

Of all the applications, the highest number, 91 523, were received from the KwaZulu-Natal Province. This number represents 45% of the total number of learners that wrote their National Senior Certificate in the province. The lowest number was from the Northern Cape with 2573 applications, 18.04% of the total number of learners that wrote in the province.

The success of this current application process can be attributed to a number of factors. These include the revised and easy-to-complete online application system, which allowed applicants to complete an application within five minutes; the simplicity of the online and manual form, with fewer fields to fill; and lastly accessibility, which has been created through NSFAS’ long-standing partnership with the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), allowing students to apply at NYDA centres across the country. The partnership with NYDA provided a broad footprint in townships, rural and remote areas. Applicants have been able to walk into any NYDA office and be assisted by appointed NSFAS agents to submit their applications. NSFAS is most appreciative of this collaboration and for the support that NYDA has provided.

NSFAS embarked on outreach activities to encourage learners and out of school youth from across the country to apply. These included visits to community centres, shopping malls, high schools, clinics, churches, door-to-door campaigns and taxi ranks. The latter enabled NSFAS to engage with parents and working youth who commute daily in the early hours, to drive the application message home to their children and siblings. These initiatives were supported by a strong social media campaign run in partnership with other stakeholder platforms such as radio, print, online as well as TVETs and Universities. Through this campaign, NSFAS accessed as many people across as wide an area as possible, to ensure that everyone who may have wanted to apply for NSFAS was able to do so.

NSFAS has informed me that feedback from applicants has been positive. Especially the fact that applications can be made online with a cell-phone, with progress tracking possible on the cell-phones as well.  Nevertheless, manual applications are still accepted and have been made in significant numbers in instances were access to technology remains a challenge.

You will also recall that in October, the scheme launched a new Service Centre, upgraded with the latest technology. This was to assist in speeding up the application process and the response efficiency to general student enquiries. To date the Service Centre has assisted more than 5 115 applicants in Cape Town. NSFAS also placed Regional Managers in each province during the application season. This was to mobilise awareness about the applications process, and conduct promotion activities in townships, rural and remote areas. This initiative has assisted the organisation in closing out the 2017/18 backlog, as well as the processing of new applications.

Currently, the scheme is in the process of evaluating all applications received. This evaluation checks whether applicants are eligible for funding. The evaluation also verifies all the data received from students with third parties, i.e. SARS, Home Affairs, etc. During the evaluation, NSFAS is able to identify eligible students who have submitted applications but who have failed to upload some required documents. These students are contacted and requested to submit the outstanding documents so that the applications can be processed.

To qualify for funding, a student must meet the financial eligibility criteria and register at an institution for an approved programme. Successful students will receive bursary funding to cover their tuition fee for their registered programme and an allowance for learning materials. They may also qualify for subsidised accommodation and/or a transport allowances where applicable.

NSFAS will communicate with students who meet the financial eligibility criteria and have received an academic offer. Communication will take place via SMS or email at the beginning of January, once the academic results have been made available to NSFAS. Funding is only confirmed once a student has met the financial eligibility criteria and is formally registered at a public TVET college or university for an approved funded programme. During this process, NSFAS will work closely with institutions to ensure that the integration of data is quick and seamless. This will allow for the timeous release of funds to students, and avoid any repetition of the delays of 2018. In 2018, some qualifying students were left frustrated, homeless, hungry and without confirmation of their funding.

NSFAS continues to play a critical role in the country. It is a key institution for Government in redressing past discrimination and ensuring inclusivity and equal access to higher education for students. Students from poor and working-class backgrounds are the targeted recipients, in line with the National Development Plan. 

This year alone, NSFAS disbursed loans and bursaries to the tune of R22 billion for 659 000 (371 368 universities and 288 341 TVET colleges) students. This amount is expected to increase next year to approximately R32 billion. This has been estimated to fund approximately 400 920 TVET colleges students and 377 050 University students.

The scheme has to date funded more than 3 million students since its inception, with more than R60 billion invested.

We thank South Africans and government for the continued effort and commitment in ensuring that there are adequate financial resources to meet the ever-increasing needs. We continue to work together to ensure a bright future for our youth.

Thank you.

The Department of Higher Education and Training warns Students of fake Colleges operating in Pretoria and Cape Town

24 October 2018

The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) warns prospective students to be aware of a scam by a Pretoria and Cape Town based private provider of skills. The provider charges unsuspecting students exorbitant amounts of money for illegal and unaccredited higher education programmes.

Investigations carried out by the DHET have established that a virtual, on-line and distance education private skills provider, by the name of New Skills Academy, is purporting to offer a range of Diplomas and qualifications. These include a Dog Grooming Diploma. The diplomas and qualifications are offered without accreditation and registration with the relevant authorities. There are no contact details provided on the website at https://newskillsacademy.co.za as at 16 August 2018. The website does not provide proof of ownership by either a natural or juristic person. This private provider of education is completely virtual. On 23 October 2018, the DHET discovered the following website address: https://newskillsacademy.co.uk/ which operates in the exact same manner.

In a similar investigation, it was established that Skills Academy, with the website address at https://www.skillsacademy.co.za is purporting to offer the following Advanced Certificate programmes without registration with the DHET: Advanced Certificate in Project Management; Supply Chain Management; Medical Office Receptionist Advanced Certificate; Advanced Certificate in Child Day Care; Advanced Certificate in Child Psychology and Facial Skincare Advanced Certificate, among others.

The DHET has already filed a case with the South African Police Services against Skills Academy. The case number is CAS189/8/2018. Affected persons may contact Constable DN Chosane at the Brooklyn (Pretoria) Police Station at 012 366 1700.

The DHET wishes to reiterate that students should first verify information with the DHET website to ascertain the legality of any programme offered by the institution of their choice. This should be done before enrolling in order to avoid falling prey to illegal operations.

The website address is www.dhet.gov.za/Resources/Registers and the DHET toll-free number is 0800 87 22 22.   

Important statement on NSFAS to the National Assembly by Minister Naledi Pandor

11 September 2018

There has been growing public concern at the inability of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) to efficiently administer the processing of applications and the disbursement of funds. These concerns did not begin this year. They have existed for several years. The public, higher education institutions and students are right to be concerned. Given the important role NSFAS plays in ensuring the transformation of the human resource profile of South Africa. Since its inception, NSFAS has ensured that funds are made available to thousands of young people from poor and working class backgrounds. It supports their access to and success in higher education. Efficient administration and the disbursement of funds, are essential for ensuring that young people benefit from this critical support for the skills development of SA’s youth.

Honourable members are aware that we have had serious concerns about NSFAS for several years. In 2013 NSFAS introduced a new "student centred model" for applications and disbursement. This created a direct link between students and the NSFAS and bypassed institutions. The model was piloted for two years in five universities and 14 colleges. It was later expanded to all institutions in 2017. At the beginning of 2017, the scheme experienced a breakdown of its computer systems and processes. Various processes of the scheme had to be undertaken manually. The absence of data and systems integration worsened the problems. Due to these difficulties, many 2017 processes were incomplete by the end of 2017. Many applications were not finalised, and funds were not disbursed. 2018 began with this backlog. NSFAS was confronted with inadequate systems processes. Additionally, staff had to administer the new full-bursary programme that introduced free higher education for poor and working class first year students.

The DHET began to work closely with NSFAS from early January. This was in an effort to address the changes and deal with the backlog of 2017. The board also provided extensive hands-on support to NSFAS. In February, I was alerted to the backlogs. The fact was that many institutions were owed funds while thousands of applications had still not been processed. It became clear that the problems were very severe. I have always received full support from the Board, and Mr Nxasana. Following various Board attempts to intervene and assist, and even with support from DHET, the board and ministry agreed that extraordinary measures were warranted. I appointed a support team of DHET and institutional staff for a six week period. This was to support the processing of applications and to ensure disbursement. This team made some progress in resolving some of the backlog. However, it became clear that much more was needed.  

Following the board chair informing me of his immediate resignation in August, I decided to seriously consider the appointment of an administrator. An emergency board meeting affirmed my intention. Indications were that the board had intended to propose the appointment of an administrator. I was also requested to do so by unions represented in NSFAS and by student organisations at TVET colleges and universities. 

In late August Dr Randall Carolissen was appointed as administrator for a period of twelve months. I have directed that he should urgently ensure eligible students receive funding for 2017 and this year. That he should develop a viable plan for processing applications for 2019 and ensure stability and efficiency at NSFAS. We have secured staff secondments from universities and TVET colleges to support the administrator. The administrator will add capacity to this support team as the work progresses.

There has been positive progress in the first two weeks since the appointment of the administrator. Links have been re-established with all institutions and institution heads and student leaders have played a critical role in communicating with students. Over fifty NSFAS staff have been deployed to be on site at institutions to ensure the resolution of outstanding issues. In the process, an additional 50 000 students have been identified as falling within the criteria for NSFAS support.  

In the first eight days of the administration, R2.2 billion had been disbursed. 43 925 students have signed outstanding SOPs and been confirmed for payment. In terms of outstanding SOPs the largest number of unsigned contracts is that of TVET college students. Over 30 000 TVET college students who are confirmed beneficiaries have not signed or received their funds. We appeal to them to come forward. UNISA students have also been paid the outstanding book allowances. I am pleased to indicate that in this year of introducing free higher education, over R17 billion has been disbursed to universities and TVET colleges.

I wish to assure honourable members that the matter of the chief executive is a NSFAS matter that must be addressed by the administrator and not the minister or DHET. The immediate work of NSFAS is the close out of 2017 and 2018 and the successful opening of the 2019 applications. NSFAS will thereafter focus on systems and processes that will create an effective model for the future. We have opened 2019 applications, and have announced 30 November 2018 as the closing date. We have also requested universities and colleges to encourage students to apply and to support NSFAS in the turnaround.

Once the immediate challenges have been fully addressed, the administrator will focus on identifying the root causes of problems at NSFAS. Solutions and a roadmap will be developed to address them. We anticipate a significant business redesign which should be put in place after the 2019 registration period. The steps taken by the administrator thus far have signalled that it will be possible to achieve significant improvement in the administration period.

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) Online Applications for 2019, which opened on the 3^rd of September, went smoothly and without any technical glitches. By 10h00, more than 400 new applications had been successfully submitted. More than 8 000 users had already visited the NSFAS website to learn more about the application process.

New students and returning students, without NSFAS registration, should apply online at www.nsfas.org.za immediately and not procrastinate. The new application process takes only five minutes to complete. It requires only a copy of the Identification Document (ID) for the applicant and parents; a payslip of each parent earning an income, and; a consent form to give NSFAS permission to verify income. Applicants whose parents are unemployed, are only required to submit a signed consent form. Continuing students who are funded by NSFAS this year, will be contacted by NSFAS to sign their agreements online, if they have not done so already. They are not required to re-apply as their funding will automatically continue in 2019, if they meet the progression rule of attaining a 50% pass. From 17 September 2018, applicants can also submit their paper applications at the nearest NYDA Office, anywhere in the country. Here they will be assisted by an NSFAS official to capture the application. Public Universities and TVET Colleges will also be capacitated to assist with both online and paper application forms at the institution's Financial Aid Office.

NSFAS Administrator, Dr Randall Carolissen, says that the newly improved system allows each applicant to be considered with great care. Enormous attention is given to evaluating every application. Therefore, the first applicant will also be the first to know whether they are funded or not. “Each application will be treated equally by the NSFAS funding committee. Complete and submit your application material as soon as possible. This will ensure full and timely consideration of your application. There are tips and guidelines online and a YouTube channel for step-by-step information. You can also track and trace the progress of your application online by a simply login with your cell-phone and ID number. “The on-time opening of the 2019 applications had been prioritised. However, we first provided assurances to the Minister regarding our progress on the 2017 and 2018 backlogs before opening the window. In that regard, we have successfully paid more than R1.2 billion to institutions and students in less than a week. We have also sent remittances to every institution to ensure that money is allocated to students accordingly and without delays. I am happy that this positive progress has been welcomed by vice-chancellors, college principals and SRC’s,” Dr Carolissen said. More NSFAS officials will be deployed to institutions in the immediate future to support the application process and to continue assisting applicants. For their part, each applicant should have a working contact number that NSFAS will use to communicate throughout the process of evaluation and for communicating the funding decision. Should this number change, it must be updated online immediately or via our TOLL-FREE number 08000 67327.

A consent form is compulsory for every applicant. Without this, NSFAS may not verify any income as declared by an applicant. This may prevent the conclusion of the funding decision. No one is restricted from applying. However, funding will only be disbursed to those who have confirmed offers and/or secured admission to study in 2019.

NSFAS applications for the 2019 academic year to open on Monday 3 September 2018

The Minister of Higher Education and Training, Naledi Pandor is pleased to announce that the 2019 National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) applications for new applicants, will open on Monday, 3 September 2018.

The announcement follows a meeting between the Minister and NSFAS Administrator, Dr Randall Carolissen. The decision to open the applications was taken after a process of system testing. The system tests on access and user friendliness conducted on the 2019 applications of a focus group of high school learners, yielded positive results. NSFAS has additionally, put in place a comprehensive communications plan. The plan involves partnering with institutions of higher learning and training, the National Youth Development Agency, community structures and organisations. This is to ensure that all eligible existing and prospective students are reached.

Once a student has applied to NSFAS, the maximum waiting period before the student receives a notice of acknowledgement is set at one week. Should a student not receive the acknowledgement within this period, they are requested to call the NSFAS TOLL FREE Call Centre on 08000 NSFAS (67327). Regarding the progress made in resolving the NSFAS issues, the following steps have been taken. NSFAS has deployed staff to all institutions to facilitate a process of addressing the bottlenecks that may have resulted from a range of factors. The necessary funds are available. Steady progress is being made in awarding the student support to qualifying students. NSFAS has welcomed the enormous support of Universities and TVET Colleges and their Student Representative Councils, in clearing the bottlenecks in the disbursement of funds. This support has assisted NSFAS to ensure that students have completed and signed the necessary agreements; that these agreements, and the student’s Course codes have been accurately captured by the institutions and submitted to NSFAS; and that book allowances, s-Bux, and pre-funded student details are correctly captured and matched with NSFAS records.

In this regard, of the 273 000 2018 academic year first-time entering students at TVET Colleges and Universities, a total of 211 000 have received the relevant funds. Furthermore, close on 239 000 of the 241 000 returning students, have been successfully linked to the system. Students are urged to sign outstanding NSFAS Bursary Agreements. This will ensure, in the case of those that meet the academic requirements, that the decisions for the continuation of their funding for the 2019 academic year, proceeds smoothly. The Minister is confident that the remaining outstanding payments for the 2018 academic year, are being made as rapidly as details are captured and verified. Minister Pandor calls on all students to ensure they inform NSFAS of changed contact details. Particularly cell-phone numbers, as this is the primary communication tool used to inform students of the disbursement of funds. MyNSFAS Online portal is available for students to update their details instantly online.

All institutions of higher education and training will be capacitated to assist with the 2019 academic year NSFAS applications. The Minister also requested students who are receiving their backdated funds, to use them wisely and settle outstanding arrears and then to focus on their studies.

Minister Pandor appoints Dr Randall Carollissen as NSFAS Administrator 

17 August 2018 

The Minister of Higher Education and Training, Naledi Pandor has announced the appointment of Dr Randall Carollissen as the Administrator for the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). Dr Carolissen is appointed to NSFAS as Administrator for a period of one year. He will be responsible for the governance, management and administration of the entity. The appointment will be effective from the date of the publication of a notice in the Government Gazette, which is likely to be early next week.

Dr Carolissen is currently the Group Executive: Revenue Planning, Analysis and Reporting at the South African Revenue Services. He is also Chairperson of the Council of the University of the Witwatersrand. A week ago, Minister Pandor, met with the Board of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, following the resignation of its Chairperson. This followed several months of engagement with the Board and the entity, in the light of serious delays in the funding of students at TVET colleges and universities in 2017 and 2018. Following the meeting, the Minister announced that she would be appointing an Administrator to take over the management, governance and administration of NSFAS in terms of Section 17A to 17D of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme Act (Act 56 of 1999, as amended). The Board concurred with the Minister on the need for the appointment of an Administrator. Minister Pandor highlighted Dr Carollissen’s leadership and management experience. He has high level technical skills and his understanding of the South African Higher Education and Training landscape, are seen as key attributes in selecting him for this role. “I wish to thank him for agreeing to take on this critical and important task. I also thank the South African Revenue Services, and the Minister of Finance for agreeing to release Dr Carollissen”, Minister Pandor said. Dr Carollissen will be supported by a team of experts in areas such as financial aid, human resources, information technology, business systems and change management. The Administrator’s responsibilities will be clearly outlined in the Terms of Reference for the Administrator to be set out in the Government Gazette.

The immediate focus for the Administrator, will be to ensure the effective closeout of the 2017 and 2018 student funding decisions and disbursements. As well as to urgently finalise plans for the 2019 funding cycle. Over the next few months the Administrator will work with universities and TVET colleges to ensure that student funding for the 2019 academic year works smoothly. In her first meeting with the administrator, Minister Pandor urged Dr Carollissen to prepare for the opening of 2019 applications in September 2018. A review of the NSFAS student-centred model will be undertaken over the next few months and run parallel with the term of the Administrator. This process will provide recommendations for the long term improvement of NSFAS. The aim is that it can effectively carry out its mandate and ensure that students from the poor and working classes, are effectively supported to succeed in their studies.

The Minister also thanked the current NSFAS Board members, and new Chairperson, Professor Garrod, for their commitment to support the entity during the transitional period. The current Board is dissolved as from the date of the publication of the Gazette.