R8 Million Donated to Stellenbosch University, Over 100 Students to Graduate

• Stellenbosch University has been able to secure R8 million in funding to help over 100 students finally graduate
• The money was used to pay off university fees that were supposed to be paid by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas)
• Nsfas cancelled the funding for postgraduate students in law and education leaving them with few options

STELLENBOSH - Over 100 students will be able to graduate thanks to the efforts of Stellenbosch University to raise money to clear student debt.

The university was able to raise R8 million through donor funding to clear the debts of 82 postgraduate and 84 undergraduate students.

Karen Bruns, the director of development and alumni relations at Stellenbosch University said that the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas) had cut funding to students who were studying towards a postgraduate certificate in education and law.

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Historical debt had prevented a number of students from graduating which resulted in calls for their debt to be scrapped.

Debt has become the largest problem preventing students from beginning and completing their studies.

Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister Blade Nzimande revealed that between 2010 and 2020 over 100 000 students had been unable to graduate due to outstanding fees. The total amount of funding that would be required to clear the debt is an eye-watering R10 billion according to News24.

However, the money raised was only able to pay off part of the debt, the graduating class of 2021's outstanding debt stands at R16.3 million according to IOL.

Thuli Madonsela's long walk for financial freedom to pay off student debt

Former public protector Thuli Madonsela has led a walk to raise money to help cover student debt. The initiative is called the Social Justice Walk.

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These students are considered too "rich" to receive financial support from the government but are actually too "poor" to actually afford to study.

Madonsela led a 16km walk that stopped at Stellenbosch University's law faculty to sing the national anthem and raise awareness.

No, NSFAS is not asking students to get 75% to secure further funding

In similar news, social media has been buzzing with rumours that NSFAS's 2023 requirements will include that students need a 75% pass to secure their funding. However, these claims are false.

NSFAS is the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, which provides disadvantaged students at tertiary education institutions with funds to cover their educational costs.

Despite the news being fake, it went viral on social media and even got picked up by certain news outlets, including The Sowetan, who have since deleted the article and related social media posts.

Source: Briefly News