Fee increases on cards

Several tertiary institutions are expected to announce their fee increases for 2017 , after Wits university's announcement on Monday of an 8% hike left students disappointed.

Earlier this year Fort Hare, Tshwane University of Technology, and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology announced zero percent increases.

The University of Johannesburg was expected to make an announcement soon, and the council at the University of Cape Town was scheduled to meet on Saturday. The Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University council meets on Friday to discuss fee increments.

Rhodes spokesman Veliswa Mhlope said "it was agreed at a council meeting that 2017 tuition and residence fees be increased by 8%" but said the majority of students would not experience the increase because the state would pay for students whose families had an income below R600000.

Musa Ndwandwe, spokesman for the commission of inquiry into higher education and training, said the commission was expected to meet on January 23 to discuss funding.