To prepare for the 2024 academic year, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) held consultations with stakeholders. Within these consultations, student unions such as the South African Union of Students (SAUS) and SATVESTA were present.
One of the major calls which came from these unions is for NSFAS allowances to be increased. SAUS stated:
The Portfolio Committee must support the call for increase in student allowances (Meal allowance and Travelling).
Other recommendations that were brought forward were:
- NSFAS should scrap all bank charges for students and zero-rate the banking system
- Re-opening of the off-take agreement process by NSFAS to deal with the recurring accommodation crisis
- Urgent implementation of the comprehensive student funding model
- Household income threshold be increased to R600 000 per annum
- The Portfolio Committee to support the call of establishing regional offices of NSFAS for improved customer service at NSFAS particularly the operations of the contact centre
Outstanding NSFAS Allowances
In a statement released, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) revealed that 234 124 students received their NSFAS allowances from 5 December 2023. These payments were part of the reconciled final disbursements for 2023.
NSFAS is yet to pay 20 000 more students their allowances with the financial aid scheme explaining, "These unresolved cases of disbursements requires further input and consultation with institutions".
They aim to have all outstanding allowances for 2023 paid by 15 January 2024 to ensure that the disbursement of 2024 allowances are not affected by these outstanding NSFAS allowance payments.
However, student unions says these are just excuses. SAUS has said, "since the inception of the current payment system, not a single month has passed without a crisis, questioning the need for monthly beneficiary verifications".
