‘I buy food in bulk to save, I don’t qualify for funding’: Unfunded university students are struggling

Second-year public relations student Lwando Kula is only 21 but he’s had to become proficient at  saving money and slashing grocery costs. 

“I have no choice, but to take life seriously even at a young age. I buy my food in bulk to last me ... so that I don’t have to ask my mother for an allowance each month. She used to give me a monthly allowance for food and transport, but sometimes I ask her not to, as I’ve seen her financial struggles, particularly after she sent me to university,” said Kula.

“I’ve learnt how to live a simple life. As an older child I can’t afford to be reckless with money as I still have younger siblings at home that are entirely dependent on my mom. I even had to register late as my mom had to raise money for this year’s registration and pay at least 10% of my historical debt from last year.” 

It’s only my second year at university, but we are already battling to keep our heads above water. My mother has sacrificed so much, yet it’s a struggle to afford university fees

—  Lisa, second-year student from Walter Sisulu University

Kula, from Walter Sisulu University, whose single mother is a lecturer, is not considered eligible for any government funding as his annual household income is above the threshold for the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). His fees last year exceeded R70,000.

Though a new loan scheme has been introduced by higher education minister Blade Nzimande to fund the so-called “missing-middle” students — those whose family income of  R350,000 to R600,000 — Kula does not qualify. 

Nzimande said R3.8bn is set aside for the scheme, known as the “comprehensive student funding model”, and is expected to benefit about 47% of the “missing middle” students or just over 31,000 students over four years. 

This week the department officials told MPs that discussions with banks had started and non-disclosure agreements were signed to kick-start the implementation of the first phase of the funding model that will be administered by NSFAS.

So far 22,245 loan applications have been received. About 139 students have been provisionally funded, while 12,890 were awaiting evaluations. 

The department of education said nearly 70,000 students don’t come from completely impoverished homes and therefore don’t qualify for the NSFAS. They are not funded by the scheme because their household income is above the R350,000 threshold, but tertiary education remains unaffordable because their annual household income is less than R600,000. 

One student who hopes to benefit from the new loan scheme is Lisa, a second-year student from Walter Sisulu University, who owes the university more than R20,000. 

“I’ve already applied for the new loan scheme and the system says my application is pending. I really hope that I will get funding as my mom is really struggling. I could not stay at the university residence this year because of the high costs, so I’ve had to resort to renting a very small room in the township,” she said.

“It’s only my second year at university, but we are already battling to keep our heads above water. My mother has sacrificed so much, yet it’s a struggle to afford university fees, which are about six times more than what my mother paid in high school.” 

Information from some of the leading South African public universities shows that the cost of higher education is rising, costing anything between R50,000 for a BA degree to just over R100,000 for the medical degree, MBChB. 

Wits University spokesperson Shiron Patel said the university did not charge students upfront registration fees but required the first instalment payment as early as March. 

All students, except international students, are required to make a first payment of R9,340 before academic registration. “Students who cannot afford the academic first payment, can apply for a first fee payment postponement — which is part of the total charge,” she said. 

The average tuition fees for a BA degree at Wits ranges between R49,430 to R65,100, excluding accommodation fees, while a Bachelor of Science costs anything between R45,430 to R70,430 per year.

A Bachelor of Laws at Wits costs R41,820 to R73,000, Bachelor of Education costs about R61,240 and a Bachelor of Medicine R73,910. 

While recognising the importance of financial sustainability, the proposal aims to balance responsible financial resource management with promoting access to higher education and addressing social justice concerns

—  Elijah Moholola, UCT spokesperson 

Stellenbosch University offers a BA degree for R55,000 a year, while a medical degree costs about R88,000. It costs about R71,400 to study a BA and Bachelor of Social Science at the University of Cape Town (UCT) while a Bachelor of Science costs R98,140 and medical degree R102,470.

A single room with meals at UCT costs anything from R79,300, while a self-catering large bachelor flat costs more than R100,000.

This week in a “commitment to offering financial support and ensuring education access to as many academically eligible students as possible”, the UCT council and student representative council (SRC) approved concessions for students with a fee debt of more than R10,000. The new policy will allow these students to register and continue to study despite the historical debt. 

“While recognising the importance of financial sustainability, the proposal aims to balance responsible financial resource management with promoting access to higher education and addressing social justice concerns,” said UCT spokesperson Elijah Moholola. 

Moholola said UCT had spent at least R1.7bn on financial aid for students. 

Wits University has disbursed over R1.5m a year in the form of scholarships and bursaries. 

“The University is working with the SRC, donors and the private sector to raise funds. It will match the funds raised via the SRC’s fundraising campaign. Students are encouraged to register on a portal that has been established to link [those] in need of funding with potential donors,” said Patel. 

A special fund, the Wits Hardship Fund, established in 2016 to assist the “missing middle”, had allocated R28m in 2024 “to assist eligible students whose family income is under R600,000 and who owe more than R10,000”, said Patel. 

University of Pretoria spokesperson Rikus Delport said the first payment of annual tuition, due in the first quarter of the year, had not increased since 2016 “to assist students who have been experiencing financial difficulties”. 

It was only increased from R5,000 to R7,500 for undergraduate students last year and from R7,500 to R10,000 for postgraduate students.