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Unisa concerned over free higher education announcement

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The University of South Africa has expressed concern that President Jacob Zuma’s free higher education announcement might cause chaos at universities at the beginning of 2018.

Vice-chancellor Ahmed Bawa says they were taken aback that such a huge announcement could be made without consultation, and with less than a month before the new start of the new academic year.

Zuma announced on Saturday that higher education will be fully funded for students from poor and working class families from 2018.

Bawa says universities needed at least a year to prepare for the implementation.

“There are students who haven’t applied to NSFAS because their family earnings were above the R122 000 thresholds. Now they will come to campus and say we want financial aid. NSFAS is saying their applications process is closed already. Now, we’ll have to try and see how to manage those particular students at the beginning of the next year.”

Bawa adds: “All these things take time and first-year students will have the benefit of the new system, but second and third year won’t. You know, it’s very likely that there will be many second-year and third-year students who feel that they should have access to that dispensation.”



President Zuma on Higher education fees (Text)

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