Thousands of students will either take an unplanned gap year or be forced to find jobs so they can pay for their fees. What pains me is that some of them will be tempted to take the easy options presented to them such as prostitution and crime in order to better their future which is very gleam all thanks to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). Last week the minister of Higher Education and Training, Mr Blade Nzimande, issued a statement regarding the funding matter and he said NSFAS would receive increased funding to cater for poor and disabled students. The amount is about 9.5Billion but still is not enough to even cover every student who needs it most. It has been said that most of those funded by the financial scheme are be able to fund their own fees but they just continue to lie so they can get funding which is meant to fund those who are academically and financially deserving. Over 800 Wits students were denied access to their results last year while the situation is worse at other institutions such as the Tshwane University of Techonology, Vaal and the Univeristy of Johannesburg. Some students are considering dropping out and what pains me most is the pain and suffering which was unnessesary inflicted to the students by the financial aid scheme. At some of these institution tuition fees are very expensive so is the compulsory registration fee which breaks most of these prospective students faith of ever reaching for their dream. What should be done now? The EFF’s Barnard Joseph said last December the NSFAS should be scrapped and free education be introduced for all until the first tertiary degree which could be a solution but I believe the problem is with those corrupt students and NSFAS officials who want to milk and steal from the poorest of the poor.
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