The Minister of Higher Education and Training, Naledi Pandor, has announced that an additional sum of R967 million had been allocated to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme to settle the historic debt owed to universities by more than 52-thousand students who are continuing with their studies.
She says the issue of the historic debt owed to universities by these students has been of a concern raised by all stakeholders for some time, saying the money will alleviate some of the debt owed to universities by students and is confirmation that government is sensitive to the plight of students from poor and working-class families.
Pandor says the allocation is specifically for those who had been funded on the previous funding scheme, prior to the significantly improved funding support that began in 2018.
She says historically, these students were required to fund part of their costs through family or own funding and were not able to do so, hence the debt.
Minister Pandor indicated that this was the first phase of the assessment of the historical debt owed to universities.
