Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande says the department is aware that the vast majority of students in institutions of higher learning are from disadvantaged families, and that some use their National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NFSAS) allowances to support their families.
However, Nzimande has warned that this is not allowed as the funds have to be used for what they are intended for.
He was delivering an address on the 2022 Financial Aid scheme funding. Nzimande says R 47.3 billion was allocated by his department to NSFAS, following the funding shortfall for the 2022 academic year, to cover both TVET colleges and the public universities.
Almost 700 000 students have been funded through the scheme. He says government will now be fully involved in the distribution of funds and to deal with those who are defrauding the system.
“We cannot allow NFSAS money to be abused. Those abusing it must be nailed because they are stealing from the poor. They are too many. I know someone who is a very successful senior official in government and the wife is a matron in a hospital. Their kids are getting NFSAS. How come?”
NSFAS confirms receiving funds from National Treasury
In April this year, NSFAS said it had received the first tranche of its budget allocation from the National Treasury.
