As universities across South Africa prepare for the 2024 academic year and registrations are taking place, many concerns have arisen as every year, student protests break out due to registration challenges. Now, the National Student Representative Council (NSRC) at Unisa has said that students should all be able to register.
In a statement released by Unisa, the NSRC said:
The National Students Representatives Council has recently engaged with the university management to address various concerns affecting students. We want to emphasise that no student will face barriers to registration and study in this academic year due to administrative challenges, whether originating from the institution or NSFAS.
"Access to education is a fundamental struggle and the NSRC will ensure that during this period of registration it is accessible to all, regardless of socioeconomic status," said the students.
Unisa 2024 Registration Extended
Unisa registration for 2024 opened on 10 January with the deadline set for 13 February. The university then extended registration for semester modules to 16 February and year modules to 22 March.
This extension aims to provide ample time for both our new students and those who have encountered administrative challenges to complete their registration process.
Should Unisa students face any challenges and are not able to register, the NSRC has said that they are "prepared to take decisive action". The NSRC is also hoping to get Unisa registration extended further.
Acknowledgement of Debt Applications
Students who have historical debt are encouraged access an acknowledgement of debt (AOD) application so that they can register for 2024.
Students with debts between R0 and R2000 will immediately be approved while students with debt above that threshold will still be considered by the university.
We will ensure that an extension will be granted of AODs so that self-paying students are able to kickstart they academic calendar.
NSFAS
Another issue which often delays registration is that of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) funding. Students often receive delayed funding decisions leaving their registration to be delayed.
The NSRC has said that:
In our discussions with management to address this challenge, we noticed a continual decline in the effectiveness of the funding scheme, disrupting the learning environment within our institution.
The students have therefore said that no student should experience a pending registration due to NSFAS issues and that Unisa should complete the registration of all previously funded students.
Students who have been made a study offer but have not replied are urged to do so and to also soon complete the MOOC exam.
Should students experience administrative issues, they should then visit a Unisa campus or centre for assistance.
"Our commitment is to ensure that every student can seamlessly register and embark on their academic journey without challenges which are manufactured to prevent many of our people from finding expression in the system."
