Cape Town – Higher Education and Training Minister, Dr Blade Nzimande, has welcomed the budget allocations that have been made towards the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), saying this will help students from poor backgrounds to access higher education and training.
The Minister said this shortly after Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan tabled the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) at the National Assembly on Wednesday afternoon.
“I gladly welcome the announcement made by the [Finance] Minister because what it is beginning to show is that the roadmap towards transformation and adequate funding of students, especially from poor backgrounds and other sections that cannot afford, is much clearer in terms of the direction that we are taking.
“Also this is a very significant commitment by government to fund post-school education and training, which is a very positive thing, so that we are able to expand post-school opportunities to both youth and adults in our country, as part of providing the necessary skills that our economy needs,” he said.
In his speech, Minister Gordhan said in addition to the R16 billion added to higher education funding in the February Budget, National Treasury proposed a further R9 billion to be added to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) over a three-year period and in the process, raising its funding by over 18% per year.
Furthermore, R8 billion will be earmarked to meet the costs of fee increases for students from households with incomes of up to R600 000 per annum.
He said financing of education remains government’s highest priority, and that the State was especially mindful of the need to expand access to post-school education opportunities.
He said expanded opportunities in South Africa’s universities cannot rely on government funding alone.
“We will work with the corporate sector and financial institutions to expand bursaries, loans and work opportunities for students,” Minister Gordhan said.
Minister Nzimande said with the additional funding, government would be able to extend its reach to NSFAS deserving students, who in the past have tended to “fall through the cracks”, despite the enormous investment that government has made since 1994.
“We have now funded 1.7 million students since NSFAS started at just over R59 billion. That has been a huge commitment.
“Most of those students come from families who had never had anyone who had seen the door of a university or a college. So this increase is really going to make a very significant difference as we move towards finding a long lasting solution from the issue of funding.”
Minister Nzimande also welcomed comments by Minister Gordhan that government alone cannot deal with the funding of post-school education.
“We need to identify other sources. As for the manner in which other sources come, that is something that I am not able to say now, but clearly we want everyone who is able to make a contribution to be able to do so.” – SAnews.gov.za
