Student leaders have rejected a proposed change in the funding guidelines for poor students as an attempt to “exclude and defund” them.
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has been holding meetings with with various stakeholders including including university vice-chancellors and student representative bodies about proposed policy changes which would require that students pass 75% of their modules to be eligible for further funding.
But student leaders believe that if adopted, the policy would make a mockery of free education as it would “disadvantage” the intended beneficiaries.
The funding body has said the proposed policy was aimed at encouraging students to pass their courses and modules within the “allowable time frame” to provide “more opportunities to deserving” students.
The South African Students Union (SAUS), which was in the process of formulating an official submission to NSFAS, suggested that socio-economic, and psychological conditions of students be considered before any changes were made.
Spokesperson, Asive Dlanjwa said the union suspected that the policy change might also be motivated by "budgetary constraints".
“We want NSFAS to retain the current 50 % requirement. Already, many students fall below the requirement due to lack of support systems.”
He said at least 22% of students were able to complete their degrees in three or four years and the proposed guidelines would exclude most poor students.
“Students are currently experiencing challenges with late disbursements, some have not received laptops and have no access to data.
“Online learning has added to the existing frustrations and might even result in poor academic performance,” said Dlanjwa.
He added that students from poor schools used the first year of studies trying to improve English comprehension and computer literacy skills while they had to deal with academic content in a “new environment”.
“We urge NSFAS to rather invest in improving the support systems to students in order to enable them to improve academic performance,” said Dlanjwa.
The student union said it also regarded the proposed policy change as a suggestion that “poor students are lazy”.
Universities of South Africa (USAF) said it was unclear that the proposed NSFAS intervention might yield the desired outcome.
USAF chief executive officer Ahmed Bawa said a recent study indicated that students who received NSFAS funding packages performed “somewhat better” than students who didn’t and over the last 10 years there had been a slow and steady improvement in throughput rates.
He added that there was however a need to continue with improved student success.
“So in principle, we may agree that it is important to create the conditions for students to graduate on time.
“It is not clear that this particular intervention that is proposed may achieve the expected outcome.”
Bawa said the path to success was complex and the “pulls and pushes” need to take these into account.
“This has to be a co-ordinated approach between the universities and NSFAS and for there to be a better understanding of what should be seen as measures for student success.
“Bawa said USAF convened a meeting between NSFAS and university registrars with the intention of arriving at a better understanding of what these pushes and pulls were.
“That process is still under way,” he said.
Education expert Jonathan Jansen said on face value the proposed policy was “sound” if it was phased in to give the system a chance to catch up and adapt to the new standard.
NSFAS said recommendations would be made to the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation Blade Nzimande, once all submissions were received and considered.