How will NSFAS’ R2 billion budget adjustment affect students?
22 November 2023
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme’s (NSFAS) downward budget adjustment of R2 billion will surely have a ripple effect on funding outcomes of students in 2024 and result in the culling of more eligible students through defunding and rejected appeal outcomes.
These are the realities Higher Education Minister, Dr Blade Nzimande, brushed aside yesterday during his media briefing regarding the opening of the NSFAS 2024 application process. NSFAS performed dismally this year, leaving countless students in the lurch, and Minister Nzimande’s address gave no assurances that the Scheme will improve its performance in 2024.
NSFAS failure to properly manage its student-centered model this year means that many students are still waiting on funding and appeal outcomes, not to mention defunding students mid-year.
NSFAS spent too much on information and communication technologies (ICT) – R65 million on budget 1 and an extra R54 million to address NSFAS ICT challenges – to merely say the Scheme has ICT challenge.