Deputy minister intervenes in Unisa NSFAS delays

Deputy higher education minister Yusuf Cassim says he will speak to the NSFAS administrator after more than 93,000 Unisa students were affected by delays in receiving their July allowances.

The delays left thousands of distance-learning students without their monthly R316 personal care allowance, which many depend on for their daily needs. Students also complained about cuts to their data support, making it harder for them to study.

If we are being honest, R316 per month for a distance-learning student, which is less than the social relief grant, is simply not enough given the resources students need to succeed academically

—  Deputy higher education minister Yusuf Cassim

After receiving complaints through his help desk, Cassim met Unisa management, student leaders and NSFAS officials to discuss the problem.

At the meeting, it was confirmed that NSFAS paid the money to Unisa on July 2. However, the university said a system problem delayed payments to some students. It said the technical issue was fixed on July 6 and the outstanding payments are now being processed.

Cassim said students should not have had to wait for their money, especially because the allowance is already too little.

“If we are being honest, R316 per month for a distance-learning student, which is less than the social relief grant, is simply not enough given the resources students need to succeed academically. However, these are policy issues which can only be changed through the annual policy review change of NSFAS,” he said.

Cassim said he will write to NSFAS administrator Prof Hlengani Mathebula to ask for a full report on how allowance payments are made. He believes the Unisa delays exposed problems with the current payment process, as universities receive the money only after the month has already started.

NSFAS has also committed to sending its finance team to Unisa next week to resolve outstanding payments and other financial issues between the two organisations. Unisa has, meanwhile, agreed to arrange a meeting between Cassim and students so that they can raise their concerns directly.

The deputy minister also said upcoming reviews of the NSFAS policy and the NSFAS Act could help address long-standing concerns affecting Unisa students. These include:

• the low personal care allowance;
• the lack of additional allowances for distance-learning students;
• funding for those taking fewer than 10 modules; and
• the overall funding model for distance education.

Cassim also urged the Unisa Council to reconsider its decision to stop providing monthly data allowances, saying internet access is essential for students studying remotely. While he welcomed the university’s talks with private partners to provide cheaper data, he said students still need monthly data allocations.

He said his office would continue helping students through the department’s help desk.

“The concerns of our students are valid and must be addressed with urgency and empathy. We will continue to work collaboratively with all stakeholders to find sustainable solutions that ensure no student is left behind,” said Cassim.

Cassim also raised complaints that some students were allegedly receiving less than the full R316 personal care allowance. The university denied the claims, but asked his office to provide details of the reported cases so that they could be investigated individually.

TimesLIVE