SA will have a fee-based, not 'free' education in 2018 – Universities SA
Pretoria – South Africa will still have a fee-based tertiary education system after government implements its new funding scheme, Universities South Africa (USAF) said.
Speaking to News24, USAF CEO Ahmed Bawa explained the practicalities around how "free education" would be implemented following a meeting with the Department of Higher Education and Training on Monday.
Representatives from the country's 26 universities were all present at the meeting, held at the department's Pretoria offices.
"Each university will still set its own fees, to be approved by the institution's council, which will then be paid by bursaries funded by the Department of Higher Education," Bawa explained.
"Unlike the previous NSFAS (National Student Financial Aid Scheme) loans scheme, the department's bursaries will not be capped and will hence be differential to each university."