Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande had dismissed some media reports that his department and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) have decided to increase the pass mark to 75% of the modules to enable the scheme to keep funding students.

Nzimande says this has caused unnecessary confusion among current and prospective NSFAS beneficiaries as the department is yet to announce the 2022 guidelines for the bursary scheme.

The Minister has, however, confirmed that consultations are continuing between the department and the scheme on the guidelines for the department.

Nzimande says an official announcement will be made after all processes have been concluded.

SAUS threatens to make all higher learning institutes ungovernable over NSFAS Proposal

SAUS spokesperson Asive Dlanjwa says the students’ union will continue to engage NSFAS in a bid to persuade it to reverse its proposal.

“On Monday, we met with the scheme and SRC’s and they made their presentation. And we rejected the presentation. So we hope that they listen to us. But if they don’t listen, I promise that there’s no single institution that will open next year as long as the poor will be kept outside those gates through those measures.”

SA Union of Students unhappy with NSFAS’s 75% pass requirement: Asive Dlanjwa