Newly appointed Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister Yusuf Cassim will on Thursday undertake his first official public engagement with a visit to the University of South Africa's (Unisa) in Pretoria, where he will engage stakeholders on delays in National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) allowance payments.
The visit follows numerous complaints received through the Deputy Minister's Helpdesk from students regarding delays in the payment of NSFAS allowances and the discontinuation of data allowances for distance-learning students.
During the visit, Cassim will meet with student leaders and Unisa management to discuss the reported causes of the payment delays, assess their impact on students and receive an update on measures being implemented to resolve the challenges.
Cassim reaffirmed his commitment to the Deputy Minister's Helpdesk, established by his predecessor, Dr Mimmy Gondwe. The Helpdesk serves as a “helping hand”, providing swift and personalised support to students by escalating queries and grievances and driving meaningful solutions.
“Deputy Minister Cassim has long championed student access and success in higher education, dating back to his student leadership days. Therefore, as his first public engagement, he felt it is important to gain a firsthand understanding of the NSFAS allowances issue and the measures taken to address the challenges effectively,” the department said in a statement.
The Deputy Minister will be accompanied by senior officials from the Department of Higher Education and Training and NSFAS.
The department said the Deputy Minister's Helpdesk is being migrated to an online platform to provide faster, digitally enhanced support. In the meantime, students requiring assistance can submit queries via email to: Dmsdesk@dhet.gov.za – SAnews.gov.za
