SIU Uncovers R5.1bn NSFAS Funds Illegally Allocated to 40k Unqualified Students, SA Divided by Findings

• NSFAS has illegally paid about R5.1 billion in financial aid to students who did not qualify
• An SIU investigation found that over 40 000 students across 76 higher education institutions unlawfully benefitted from NSFAS grants
• Some South Africans believe that students deserve to benefit from their parents' tax contributions, while others complain that illegal contributions waste taxpayers' money

CAPE TOWN - A Special Investigating Unit (SIU) investigation into maladministration and unlawful conduct at NSFAS has revealed that the financial aid scheme is haemorrhaging money.

The SIU told Parliament's Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) that around R5.1 billion of NSFAS money was illegally used to fund approximately 40 044 sudents who did not qualify for financial assistance.

SIU searching for 40k students illegally awarded NSFAS funding

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SIU Chief National Investigations Officer Leonard Lekgetho said the students were spread across 76 institutions.

He told Scopa that the SIU was tracing the students to identify them, interview them and assess the information they provided when they applied for bursaries or loans, SABC News reported.

The students didn't qualify for financial aid because their household income surpassed the threshold of R350 000 annually.

Unqualified students used "false" information on NSFAS grant applications

Lekgetho said some students used their grandparents' information or a relative who did not earn much money when applying for NSFAS grants.

He added that several cases were identified where officials authorised applications even though the student was no longer with the higher learning institution.

In light of the information uncovered, the SIU is also looking into applications to find out who signed and authorised them, TimesLIVE reported.

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South Africans are dividend by the R5.1bn NSFAS funding paid to "unqualified" students

Some citizens have lamented the waste of taxpayers' money, while others claimed the "unqualified" students deserved funding because their parents pay taxes.

Below are some comments:

@XUFFLER exclaimed:

"Weeeh, taxpayers' money is wasted."

@DURITZ79 claimed:

"And probably paying for degrees the economy doesn’t need."

@Nolofy said:

"No one will be arrested and thrown in jail for this. Forget about justice in this country."

@JrGeanial added:

"80% of those students really needed financial assistance because they reject anyone whose parents are working in the government sector."

Mzansi student builds mom house with NSFAS funds and 4 other people who blessed their queens with homes

In another story, Briefly News reported that moms are undoubtedly the most selfless and caring people on the planet.

Many people work hard to make the women who birthed them proud and to try to repay them for all they sacrificed to raise them.

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Being a mom comes with many sacrifices, but nothing is ever too big for your child. One woman saved all her NISFAS university funding and put it towards building her mother a house, while others used theirs to party.

Source: Briefly News