Blade Nzimande Busts Pass Mark Increase Myths, Says NFSAS Rumours Are False

• The Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, Blade Nzimande, has put rumours of an NSFAS pass mark increase to bed
• Rumours have been circulating on social media that NSFAS students will need to achieve a minimum of 75% in their modules to retain funding from 2022
• Nzimande expressed that the 2022 NSFAS requirements have not been finalised, and will be made known to the public in due course

Blade Nzimande, the Minister of Higher Education, has addressed rumours that tertiary students will need to achieve 75% in their modules to retain their NSFAS funding.

Nzimande says that the 2022 NSFAS requirements are still being deliberated and will be communicated to the public at a later stage.

Times Live reports that the currently NSFAS recipients need to attain 50% for their modules to keep their funding.

Read also

Student bodies say NSFAS 75% pass of modules requirement for further funding is anti poor

NSFAS proposal consequences

The pass mark increase rumours reached the South African Union of Students (SAUS), who were dismayed by the news. Asive Dlanjwa, the union's spokesperson, expressed SAUS' commitment to getting NSFAS to reverse their decision, SABC News reports.

“On Monday, we met with the scheme and SRC’s and they made their presentation. And we rejected the presentation. So we hope that they listen to us.

But if they don’t listen, I promise that there’s no single institution that will open next year as long as the poor will be kept outside those gates through those measures," Dlanjwa said.

Reactions to NSFAS pass mark rumours

@MukhethwaKhoro4 said:

"Mxm this man doesn't have matric bt he talk abt 75% kanjani."

@DibaThembaa believes:

"Nothing good ever comes from this man, he is an enemy to the students of this country."

Read also

IFP enters into agreement with ANC in KZN despite denying possibility, EFF sidelined

@Equitypers asked:

"Who is the misleader?"

@xolanikunene shared:

Nah boet, we all dont like him but has a PhD ... we should at least respect that."

Student bodies say NSFAS 75% pass of modules required for further funding is anti-poor

Briefly News previously reported on various student organisations are taking a stand against the new guidelines set in place by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).

The Student Representative Council(SRC) at the University of Witwatersrand has joined the SA Union of Students (SAUS) in rejecting the NSFAS proposal that will require students to pass 75% of their modules if they want to be funded by the organisation for their next year of study.

In previous years, students were required to only pass 50% of their modules for them to continue being funded. In addition to the 75% pass requirement, NSFAS plans to cap accommodation allowances for students, a concern that has been raised by students.

Source: Briefly News