SOUTH AFRICA - NSFAS RECIPIENTS FRUSTRATED OVER UNPAID 2019 FEES

NSFAS spokesperson Kagiso Mamabolo says they have processed all the applications that they received for this year

Some National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) recipients are frustrated because their fees for last year have not yet been paid.

On Monday, NSFAS announced that it had finalised processing about 500 000 applications, over 346 000 of the applications have been approved, with about 30 000 others being reviewed.

Some students have however taken to social media to vent their frustrations over the unpaid fees, saying they face a bleak academic year.

NSFAS spokesperson Kagiso Mamabolo says they have processed all the applications that they received for this year.

Mamabolo says, “We have received over 540 000 first time applications for 2020. At least more than 60% of these applications are successful and the majority of these applicants are social grant beneficiaries. We have confirmed 346 000 as successful and we have over 28 000 who are not meeting the minimum funding criteria.”

Mamabolo says declined applications will be reviewed and applicants will get a response in two weeks’ time.

Funding challenges for returning students seem to be recurring, with disgruntled students from last year having organised themselves under the #NSFASFailedUs banner and mobilised for declined applications to be reviewed.

via - SABC