NSFAS
By Karabo Marifi
Cape Town – The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) Administrator, Freeman Nomvalo, announced that the scheme has been consistently processing payments for all beneficiaries who have submitted their banking details. In a media briefing on Tuesday, Nomvalo outlined the significant progress made under his administration, highlighting that 94% of NSFAS beneficiaries are currently receiving their allowances.
Urgent Interventions for TVET Beneficiaries
One of the critical interventions implemented by Nomvalo’s administration was the migration of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) NSFAS beneficiaries to a direct payment system through their banker. This change was necessitated by frustrations experienced by students who were facing delays in receiving their allowances.
Nomvalo explained that approximately 6% of students are not receiving their allowances due to either failing the verification process because of incorrect information provided or not capturing their banking details. Despite NSFAS’s efforts to contact these students, many have not responded. “There are possibly two scenarios; one that these students have no means to reach us, possibly the messages did not reach them, or regrettably, some of these could be non-existent students. What is more worrying is that to date we have not received complaints from students who may have not received their allowances,” said Nomvalo.
Extension of University Payment Arrangements
Regarding university payments, Nomvalo announced that the current arrangement with universities to facilitate the payment of allowances to NSFAS beneficiaries will be extended until the end of the 2024 academic year. This decision, following consultations with Universities South Africa (USAF), aims to support beneficiaries and ensure the stability of the Post School Education and Training (PSET) system.
Nomvalo also mentioned that NSFAS intends to migrate university allowances to a more cost-effective and efficient payment system. However, the planning for this migration was halted by an interdict awarded in favour of Ezaga and others by the Western Cape High Court on 12 July 2024, which NSFAS is currently appealing.
ICT System Challenges and Student Appeals
Addressing the delays in finalising student appeals, loans, and the 2023/2024 funded lists, Nomvalo linked these issues to the current NSFAS ICT system. He noted that the manual process of verification has become cumbersome and overburdens NSFAS staff, making it prone to errors. In 2023 alone, NSFAS received about two million applications, making manual verification an almost impossible task.
Nomvalo assured that with additional capacity acquired, NSFAS will communicate with universities, TVET colleges, and students on final lists by the end of August 2024. He expressed sincere apologies to the affected students and colleagues in the PSET system, stating, “We are working hard to ensure the 2025 academic year is less burdened with the same issues.”
Commitment to Improvement
NSFAS remains committed to resolving the challenges faced by students and improving the efficiency of its payment systems. The continuous engagement with institutions and students is a priority to ensure that all eligible beneficiaries receive their allowances promptly.
For more information about NSFAS and the latest updates, visit nsfas.org.za.
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