Some National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) applicants, whose applications were initially declined and are currently under review, are concerned that delays in processing their applications could cost them their education.
The applicants are part of hundreds of first year and returning students who have started the hashtag “NSFAS Failed Us” movement on social media.
NSFAS says the applications have been declined because the students have a household annual income of more than R350 000.
NSFAS has since started to review the process. One of the students, who asked to remain anonymous, says they have been informed that they must submit further supporting documents.
“They are not saying which additional information, and I am extremely disappointed because what if this maybe requires the parents, and maybe the parents stay far, so they haven’t said what is this additional information, what it requires and what it entails. If NSFAS does not change my status, I might drop out that first of all, or secondly my parents who are not working will be forced to go a loan shark,” says the student.
The spokesperson for NSFAS, Kagiso Mamabolo, could not be reached for comment.
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