26 universities get R1.3B for registration of poor students in South Africa

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) on Tuesday, announced that 26 universities have been given R1.3bn for the registration fees of students who need financial assistance in the 2017 academic year. The financial aid is said to have covered over 160 000 students at the respective universities.
Speaking on the funding, NSFAS spokesperson,  Kagiso Mamabolo said some students who would be returning to school this year will no longer have worries about how to pay their school fees.

'Students who go back to university this year have nothing to worry about. They were financed in 2016 and will automatically qualify for money again in 2017 without applying if they signed a letter of agreement for financial aid and passed at least 50% of their module.  We expect our students to be treated fairly and that they will not be discriminated against because of their background. We are approving more applications every day and expect to complete the process by January 27.'

NSFAS is a loan and bursary scheme funded by the department of higher education and training for students who do not have the financial means to fund their studies.

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