Dr Blade Nzimande, the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, has warned students and parents to be cautious of illegal or “fly-by-night” colleges. “Fly-by-night” colleges are not registered as institutions of learning with the correct authorities.
Legal private colleges are registered with:
- Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs)
- Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET)
- And other relevant bodies.
Minister Nzimande stated that these colleges “lure and mislead” students into believing that the qualifications offered by these colleges are recognised by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). These qualifications lead to students not being accepted for further studying or employment opportunities.
“These illegal colleges offer compromised qualifications which are not recognised for employment purposes or for further studying,” said Minister Nzimande. According to the minister, the department has been successful in closing down these illegal operators.
However, even though the department is working hard to eliminate these unregistered colleges, there are still many students who fall victim to these scammers and continue to register with them. This leads to disappointment when they find out that their qualification is not recognised as valid.
Over the years, the number of colleges operating illegally has reduced tremendously. Minister Nzimande believes that “the decrease can be attributed to our monitoring awareness campaigns and our collaboration with both print and electronic media”.
Law enforcement has partnered up with the department in the fight against these scammers. Together they have closed down many illegal colleges.
Students who want to enrol at private colleges are advised to check the registration status of the tertiary institution. They may call the toll-free number 0800-872-222 to check if their institution is registered with the proper authorities.
They may also log onto the DHET website and check the “Register of Private Colleges”. The list is updated regularly.
