Buti Manamela and Minister Blade Nzimande at a media briefing on the state of readiness for the 2024 Academic Year on 23 January 2024 in Pretoria. NSFAS beneficiaries claim that the entity has left them in debt, defunded them without explanation, and left them to suffer. (Gallo Images/Lefty Shivambu)
University students around the country are racking up debt for their studies despite receiving 100% bursaries from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
As universities increase fees and interest accrues on their bills, some students News24 spoke to are unable to graduate or have been forced to squat in friends’ residence rooms.
Sbongile Molambo owes the University of the Witwatersrand R92 000 for her BA in Politics and Psychology. Her tuition and accommodation funding was approved for three years, but NSFAS only paid for her second and third years, leaving her with debt and accumulated interest.
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